A Home at the End of Japan
by Kal-El Fornia
Summary: A slice of life about Yamato and Taichi's unusual friendship which questions the traditional definitions about family and love.
1. Moment

Michael Cunningham wrote a book called _A Home at the End of the World_, which was also later made into a movie. That inspired the current slice of life that you're about to read, but my story and Mr. Cunningham's are pretty much completely different. This is an AU story, and I hope that you'll enjoy.

Quote of the day:

**_I shrugged again, and smiled. "This is my life," I said. "It doesn't seem like the wrong one." _**

**_-_****_Bobby Morrow, _****_A Home at the End of the World_**

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><p>Flicking the butt of his cigarette, Yamato watched as the tiny light from the flame of what was left of said cigarette fell stories down the balcony of the Yagami's apartment. It was a sight that didn't last very long, like so many of the other things that were in his life, and when he saw the flame die out and the cigarette butt disappear into the darkness that was Japan at two in the morning, he found himself smiling, seeing that what he just watched somehow fit perfectly with the rest of his life. Feeling in his pocket for a pack of cigarettes that he had bought just an hour before, Yamato cursed, knowing that he only had two left.<p>

"You shouldn't smoke so much, you know?" came a familiar voice from the darkness behind him.

He didn't look at who had spoken since he already knew that it was Taichi, and without saying a word Yamato continued to stare out into that dark Odaiba sky, listening as the glass door behind him was shut. In his usual way he gave no response, or any indication that he had heard Taichi at all, and just kept leaning on the balcony ledge, waiting until the brunet was by his side.

"Can't sleep?" Yamato asked, pulling out his two remaining cigarettes, one for himself and one for the young man now beside him. As he lit his own cigarette, Yamato once again tasted that sweet nostalgic tobacco as the smoke began to rush all throughout his body, himself at the same time wishing that he had had the foresight to buy more than one pack. Waiting for a moment, he smiled as Taichi leaned into him so that he could light his own cigarette with the flame from Yamato's. It was a closeness that both of them had always been fond of.

"It's hard to sleep when my little sister is getting fucked down the hall."

Yamato took a drag of his cigarette. "She snuck into mine and Takeru's room again?"

"Yeah," Taichi breathed out, as he tried unsuccessfully to blow rings of smoke, for no particular reason whatsoever.

Another drag.

"Then I guess that means that I have to bunk with you tonight? Takeru's greedy, he won't be done with your sister anytime soon."

It was a good enough excuse as any, Yamato being just as greedy when it came to him and Taichi doing the same sort of things. He smirked, as did Taichi, both knowing the eventuality of what would happen later that night.

"How do my parents not know that they're having sex? They're not exactly discreet about it," Taichi grumbled, more than just a bit annoyed about the whole situation.

For some reason, even though Yamato knew that he should have been sympathizing with Taichi, he couldn't help but laugh. When he and Takeru had moved in with the Yagamis three years ago after Hiroaki had been murdered and when the rest of the Ishidas refused to take the two of them on the grounds that they claimed that Natsuko had been having an affair before she had run off on her family all those years ago before Hiroaki's death, he never would have thought that his little brother would repay the kindness of the Yagamis by going at it with their one and only daughter.

"Yuuko-sama isn't as naive as you think she is," Yamato replied after a moment, eyes still remaining on the sky, "and if you didn't know, she's had talks with the two of them about being safe, but Susumu-sama has no clue because he doesn't want to have a clue. It' s best we keep it that way."

The flames from their cigarettes were starting to die down.

"They're too young for sex," Taichi muttered, still not being completely okay with the way his baby sister was living her life.

"We were too young for sex," Yamato countered, as his fingers twiddled his cigarette.

"We couldn't get pregnant."

"They're sixteen, and sixteen isn't as young as we think it is, Taichi."

Sighing, Taichi looked out into the night of the sky that Yamato had been so content to stare at in silence before he had joined him. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or not, but for some odd reason that Taichi couldn't exactly place, the moon seemed rather bright to him, despite it not even being full that night. Perhaps it was that past-midnight Japan air that had always been mystical to him, or perhaps it was Yamato whom Taichi had always felt had an odd sense of magic always about him, but the moon was extra beautiful to him that night. It was almost as if the moon wanted him to stay there forever, something that Taichi wanted to give in to, especially if that meant that Yamato stayed there as well.

"I leave tomorrow," Taichi said quietly, being responded to with a moment of silence before he heard Yamato speak again.

"Do you have to?"

Taichi took a puff of the cigarette Yamato had given him. It was a sour thought, knowing that that would be Yamato's last gift to him for a while at the least. "You know I can't stay here, and you can't stay either."

Yamato ran a hand through his blonde hair, noting that his other hand held a cigarette that was running dangerously close to reaching the end of it's life.

"I can't leave Takeru."

Taichi watched as Yamato gave the fire of his cigarette life again by smoking a bit more of it.

"He has Hikari, and Daisuke-kun always seems to find his way around here too."

Releasing the smoke, Yamato watched as Taichi mimicked his actions.

"He needs me.

Blowing smoke into the night, Taichi watched in awe as it almost made the stars seem to dance in the darkness; like magic. It was almost as magical as Yamato and that mystical Japan air that always brightened up the moon.

"I need you."

Yamato said nothing as he just stared out into the night again. After hearing some rustling, making no indication that he had heard anything at all, Yamato knew that Taichi had gone back inside the apartment. He tossed his unfinished cigarette off the balcony, letting the night of Japan consume it's flame with darkness. The moment fit perfectly with the rest of his life.

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><p>This was the first chapter I did a rewrite for, and I'm much more happy with the outcome. Thanks for reading.<p> 


	2. Smile

The locations and reputations of said locations used in this chapter are completely factual.

Quote of the day:

_**"Jiji, I've decided not to leave this town. Maybe I can stay and find some other nice people who will like me and accept me for who I am."**_

_**-Kiki, Kiki's Delivery Service**_

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><p>Eight months after Taichi had left, Yamato finally understood what the young man had meant when he said that neither of them could stay in Odaiba anymore. Yamato hadn't seen him in those eight months, the city where Taichi had moved to being somewhere that was much too far for them to feasibly visit one another, and in that time he had to rely on drunken phone calls and longing e-mails to even keep in touch with Taichi. Part of the reason that Yamato had left Odaiba was the fact that he realized that his little brother didn't need him around as much as he used to anymore on account of the fact that little Teeks was growing up to become more and more of a man everyday, but if Yamato had to be honest with himself, most of the reason that he had left his old home behind was for the simple reason of seeing Taichi again.<p>

His bus had dropped him off earlier in Osaka, a Japanese city two hundred and fifty miles away from Odaiba, and he was already almost at the apartment that Taichi shared with a friend, a young woman. Yamato wasn't surprised when Taichi had told him that the area of Osaka that he lived in was the North side of Doyama, a known gay district, and he was as equally unsurprised when Taichi had told his father that he was living in a different part of the city.

Yamato knew that Susumu loved his children, including himself and Takeru, but he also knew that Susumu was a traditional man, one of stature and old world honor, and that having a gay son could be something that could possibly make him be ashamed. The blond had his doubts about that, Susumu being so very different than his own father that had shown him the harsh lives that the rats of Odaiba's red light district were destined to have, but at the same time he knew that Taichi was too afraid to risk losing the love of the man who had raised him. On the other hand, Yukko was well-aware about her son's orientation, even knowing about the relationship that her boy had with the young Ishida, and Yamato mused about the fact that the woman who had once been just as traditional and honorable as her husband was now simply happy that her son had found love. As he felt around for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket, as his mind wandered to different horrors committed by some for the purpose of holding onto that ever fading old world honor, he knew that some traditions weren't worth the price they came with.

The cigarette he popped into his mouth felt good after not being able to smoke on the long bus ride from his hometown, and Yamato faintly recalled the moment that he had tried his very first one. He didn't remember his age other than the fact that he was a young boy and that Takeru could barely be called even that, but Yamato could think back on being mesmerized as he watched his mother's stress practically leave her as she inhaled smoke from the various cigarettes that she enjoyed throughout the day. He sneaked into her purse later, taking out her lighter and a single cigarette, and it was an act as simple as that which would forever shape his future.

He was older when he met Taichi, but not by much, and it was because of cigarettes that they had first spoken. Yamato had taken Takeru to the park, and he had been leaning on a wall, smoking one of the cigarettes he had stolen from his mother's purse while he watched his brother play with a little brunette girl. When he blew out the smoke, ignoring some of the parents in the park that had started to stare at him, he noticed that another brunet, a boy, had begun to lean on the wall just a few feet away from him. Almost any other time he would have ignored the sudden company, but instead Yamato simply glared at the brunet for a moment when he realized the other boy was staring in the direction of his brother, but in the end he had decided not to say anything after he figured that the little girl was this other boy's little sister. He had never been the type to start conversations with strangers, the only person he really needed in his life he thought at that point was his baby brother, but he looked over at him again anyways when he heard the young boy with wild brown hair begin to speak. The boy told him that he shouldn't smoke because it was bad and unhealthy, and Yamato simply smiled and handed the cigarette over to him to try. Their fingers touched when the young boy who he would later learn was named Taichi reached for the cigarette, and there was something about that touch that drew both of them to one another. It was something that they hadn't known all those years ago, but both of them would eventually change the others' life.

They were old thoughts of times that were both good and bad, memories of moments that were just as soothing as they were savage, and Yamato laughed to himself and simply shook his head as he finally reached Taichi's apartment building, which just so happened to be his own new home as well. Preferring not to put his duffel bag down, preferring even more not to put his cigarette out so that he could search his pockets for the slip of paper that he had written the code to enter the apartment building on, Yamato cursed in annoyance. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long though as someone else reached the apartment front door and put in the code to get into the building, a short red head who by the looks of it was coming home from a rather long day at the office.

"New here?" the redhead asked, holding the door open for Yamato with an eyebrow raised at the prospect of a new neighbor.

"Yeah. Name's Yamato." he said, noticing the look that the redhead was giving him.

"Yamato, eh?" the young man who opened the building up laughed, "I would've pegged you for a foreigner."

Yamato grunted as he then took a drag of his cigarette, being irritated that their foreign appearances were always the first thing that anyone ever brought up about him or his brother. "I'm not full Japanese," he paused as he blew smoke in the redhead's face to make his point clear, "is that going to be a problem?"

Coughing from the smoke, the short redhead made sure to smile as a sign of good faith. "I'm Koushiro, but no, it won't be a problem. It's just that some bars here are rude to foreigners or don't even serve them."

Yamato's own eyebrow was raised just as Koushiro's had been moments before, but then he just shrugged and gave the young man a nod as he walked passed him and into the apartment building. He only had a bit of trouble as he searched for the apartment that belonged to Taichi and the young woman who was his roommate, but when he found it he unlocked the front door with the key that Taichi had sent him a few weeks prior. He quietly made his way inside as he tried to not make that much noise considering the time that it was, and Yamato gave a sigh of relief as he was finally able to set his duffel bag down, tired from holding onto it the whole time during the long trek from Odaiba.

He didn't know how he felt really, being in this city that wasn't his Odaiba that he had grown up in, but there was a certain charm to the little that he had seen of Osaka so far, the even less he had seen of Doyama. It was different than his hometown, this being a place where he could openly do something as simple as hold Taichi's hand without being judged or without facing the danger posed by people who hated the kind of love that he and Taichi held for one another. Perhaps this city wasn't the town he had left behind, the place he had loved so much, but maybe it would be a land that had a world of experiences waiting for him, a place where he could freely be who he was. Yamato did admit to himself that it would be a nice change of pace regardless of anything else as he took in another long drag of smoke, and he gave a laugh when he heard a familiar voice the moment he gave new life to his cigarette.

"You shouldn't smoke so much," Taichi's tired voice came from out of the darkness in the room.

Yamato said nothing, and just smiled instead. This wasn't Odaiba, but perhaps it could be home.

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><p>Let me know if you liked it.<p> 


	3. 9:30AM

Here is the next chapter of the continuing story of this slice of life.

Quote of the day:

"_**When my father moved away, I lived alone in our house. Which was not exactly normal, but at least I had a routine. Before, when he was home, I could never exactly get comfortable, because it always felt like something was about to happen." **_

_**-Miranda, King of California**_

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><p>Yamato's vision was blurry when he woke up next to Taichi for the first time in eight months and a day, and it was when that vision cleared up only for him to see a naked brunet next to him, that he was glad that he had finally decided to follow Taichi to Doyama. He had been lonely without him, and after all that loneliness he felt that even though he had lived in Odaiba for all of his life, and even though Takeru was still there, that the old city could never be his home if Taichi wasn't there. No amount of cigarettes could ever change that.<p>

"What time is it?" Taichi asked groggily as he stirred about beside him, something which caused Yamato to sigh and sit up in bed.

He climbed out so that he could reach his cheap dime-store watch that had been poking out of some clothing that was strewn around the floor, and after he checked the time he just tossed it back to the spot where he had found it. In the two-thirds of the year that he and Taichi had been in different cities for the first time in their lives, not counting family vacations of course, the unfortunate case of abstinence had been thrust upon him. The previous night however, the first night that he felt at peace for the first time in almost a year, it was a night where that forced abstinence had finally been broken.

Many things were broken in Yamato's life, from his bones as he grew up in one of the more dangerous parts of Odaiba, or even to his family that God seemed to have an interest in putting them through one tragedy after another. His mother was the first of the Ishidas to leave, Yamato remembering that cold rainy day that was the last time he had ever smelled that familiar lavender perfume which he would never forget was her very favorite to wear, and eventually she would be followed by his father Hiroaki as well. Hiroaki didn't abandon them though, instead being murdered in the streets as he caught a bullet to the head, leaving behind two teenage boys who were then rejected by the rest of their family, orphaned because no one else wanted them. At least until the Yagamis found out, of course, and brought the two boys into their home.

"Almost 9:30," he grunted, rummaging around the floor as he looked for a pair of boxers since he figured that it might as well be time to wake up and start the day.

"Shit," Taichi cursed in response as the young man scrambled out of bed, throwing on his clothes as best and fast as he could.

Finding the boxers he had tossed off the night before, Yamato put them on and arched an eyebrow as he turned and stared at his companion that was oddly enough apparently in a rush to be somewhere. To his knowledge, Taichi didn't actually have an official job and made his money by performing odd jobs in and around the city, which was honestly something that actually suited him quite all things considered. Taichi had never really been the kind of person who ever stayed tied down much to any one thing, except the people he held close to his heart. As he looked on at Taichi, the brunet still muttering curses under his breath, the freedom that the Yagami embraced was something that Yamato had always admired about him.

Without being prompted to, Taichi explained himself, "Don't have enough time to tell you where I need to be. Ask Sora, she knows."

He nodded as he then began putting on a pair of Taichi's shorts. It was easier than scurrying around searching for one of his own.

"Here," Taichi spoke once more, tossing Yamato something that had been sitting in the drawer that he had pulled his wallet out of.

Barely catching a small unopened pack of cigarettes that Taichi had thrown his way, Yamato smiled when he saw what they were. "What's this for?"

Taichi, now fully dressed, made sure that his wallet and phone were in his pockets, and began walking towards the door of their room.

"I know you need them," was the brunet's simple response, "Just don't smoke them all by the time that I'm back."

Yamato sat back down on the bed as he opened the pack of cigarettes and lit one up with the lighter that was in the pocket of Taichi's shorts he was now wearing. He wasn't sure if he could restrain himself from smoking all of them, especially with a day that was filled with nothing, but decided that just this once he would try to hold back until he saw Taichi again. Other than the Yagamis and Takeru, and the Motomiyas as well since that particular family had always had a special place in his heart, there was nothing in the world that Yamato valued more than cigarettes, and he cursed, and loved, his dependence on them. He wondered if the tobacco would ever kill him, or if he would die like his father, somehow from a bullet in the streets.

Blowing out the smoke from his mouth, Yamato stood up and began walking around the room to simply look at what Taichi had lying about since he didn't get a good look the previous night, being much too distracted since it had been eight months since he had last gotten any kind of action after all. One thing in particular caught his eye, and Yamato laughed as he picked it up and began looking through it. He recognized the letters in the magazine as being English, though he couldn't exactly read all of it since he never did quite pay attention in that class, and Yamato was amused that Taichi was so blatant about leaving gay porn just lying around his room.

Personally, all the porn that Yamato needed was saved on his e-mail and were all of Taichi, his favorites being those that had Taichi in more compromising situations. He didn't mind that Taichi looked at or owned pornography, but instead was curious as to why the adult magazine that he found was an American one. Skimming through it, Yamato felt a small twinge of pride when he saw that most of the young men in the magazine had blonde hair and blue eyes, and when he realized just what exactly the reason was that Taichi had American porn.

Setting the magazine down, and looking around a bit more, there was nothing else that really caught Yamato's interest. He considered putting on a shirt for when he met Sora, Taichi's roommate and friend, but decided against it thinking that if she lived in the North side of Doyama, then that probably meant that he wasn't exactly her type.

Feeling that the cigarette he was smoking was finished, rather quickly in his opinion, Yamato put it out on the wall; a habit he had picked up from his father. He took out the pack that Taichi had given him earlier, and as he lit up a new cigarette, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do what Taichi had asked of him before the young man had left. Yamato shuddered as he felt smoke begin to fill his lungs, and he wondered once again if the tobacco would ever kill him.

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><p>Let the adventure continue!<p> 


	4. Mother

This is an introduction of a character that is going to be quite integral to this story, and someone who also happens to be hands down my favorite Digimon character.

Quote of the day:

_**"No parent should have to bury their child."**_

_— ****Théoden, The Lord of the Rings****_

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><p>Yamato sighed impatiently as he sat in the living room of the apartment that was now his new home, and as he grabbed the pack of cigarettes that Taichi had given him an hour and a half ago earlier, he wondered how many were left. Feeling that more than half the pack was gone, he cursed and threw it across the room, angry at himself for having smoked so many cigarettes after Taichi had requested that he try to restrain himself for the day. He wondered where the brunet had run off to earlier since it was something that Taichi had been extremely vague about, but the most curious question at the moment was when he would get to finally meet the Sora girl that he was now supposed to be living with. Feeling the familiar craving for tobacco, he began to walk over to the kitchen to see if there was any sort of liquor or booze that could tide him over for the moment, and as he stepped onto the tile of the kitchen floor, he heard his cellphone begin to ring. When he took his phone out of his pocket to see who it was, Yamato laughed, thankful that the person who was calling had randomly decided to give him a shout.<p>

"Morning, Yama!" an exuberant female voice practically sang from the other end of the line, "How's all the gay sex coming along?"

The blond chuckled when he heard the girl and her famous offbeat humor that he knew he was going to end up especially missing somewhere down the line, and he was reminded of how quiet the world felt when she wasn't around. Yamato didn't hang out with Takeru or the other kids all that much since he always ended up feeling too out of place whenever he spent too much time alone in their company, and other than Taichi, the young woman who had called him up was the only person he had ever really spent time with. He sighed as he realized just how lacking their old trio was without her there, and that particular realization came with another one that told him that Taichi probably missed her as well.

"Morning, Jun. I'm doing great. You know what they say, right? A cock a day keeps the doctor away."

The girl burst out laughing, as she usually did for small reasons, and Yamato found himself wishing that Taichi was there beside him so that he could hear Jun's charming laugh as well.

"If that's the case, maybe one of you guys would like to come back home and bring one of those cocks back with you? I need to get laid."

He laughed again, Jun always being something akin to a pixie or an especially promiscuous fairy that went around making the world a happier place with a combination of fairy dust and hand jobs, but there was something about laughing with her that always made him feel guilty about it afterwards. Once upon a time, they laughed the exact same way as they clung to one another in bed, naked and covered in sweat, and once upon a time he had left Jun with a broken heart, finding his own more drawn to Taichi.

"What about your latest boyfriend?" he asked, partially out of curiosity, but mostly to stop his mind from going to that one dark and guilt-ridden room.

"Small dick," the dashing woman said almost immediately, Yamato imagining the nonchalant shrug that she had probably given as she answered.

While nodding his head to no one in particular, Yamato began to dig through the fridge that was in the kitchen, hopefully to find something that could help his new home jitters. He pulled out the first can of beer that he found, it was a brand that he had never tried before, and when he opened it to give it a taste, it was bitter.

He frowned, now remembering why he much preferred tobacco to alcohol. "Was there a reason that you called?"

Another laugh came from Jun. "What? Yamato-chan doesn't want to talk to me?"

Yamato sipped the sour tasting beer, and made a small wish that he could one day laugh just as honestly as Jun did. He felt like spitting. Beer never tasted as good as tobacco did. "Just wondering."

Both Jun and Yamato paused for a moment, Yamato used to the silence, and Jun just happy to be talking to him.

"I made breakfast for our brothers this morning to help with their hangovers, and seeing Takeru-kun like that reminded me of when we used to get drunk together. Do you remember that time that the three of us broke into the school that one night and got wasted on the roof?"

Yamato drank more of his beer and found the flavor of it to be slightly better than before. He felt that it was because of Jun, since she, like Taichi, knew how to make everything better. "We had a lot of fun back then, June bug."

Hearing the girl laugh made Yamato smirk seeing as he used the nickname that Taichi had created for her. It was a name from when they were kids, and neither Jun or Yamato would ever tire from hearing it. Both of them smiled, and somehow Yamato felt that Taichi was smiling as well.

"Do you ever miss it?" the young woman on the other end wisped out with a voice that was as sweetly nostalgic as it was bittersweet, "Being with me I mean?"

"I'm with Taichi now."

It was a simple response from him that made Jun sigh, but Yamato couldn't help but notice that it was a sigh that sounded oddly happy.

"For being so gay, you sure were excited when you got to see my tits, eh, Yama?"

The guilt bubbled up once again in Yamato, remembering that the whole time that he was sleeping with Jun, he was sleeping with Taichi as well. When she found out she didn't take to being cheated on very well and gave Yamato a black eye, but after making up with him, she was one of the most supportive people concerning his relationship with Taichi. Despite everything that had gone down, despite the tears and heartache, Jun would always be his sweetheart.

"Your tits are the only ones I get excited for, June bug."

Jun couldn't stop from bursting out laughing, and after a minute of it she finally calmed back down. "I knew it! Once I've had my legs wrapped around a boy, there's no way he'll ever fully be gay!"

Yamato stayed quiet, something he was good at, knowing that Jun wasn't done talking.

"So if I let you see my tits again will you come back to Odaiba? I really need to get laid, Yamato. Tell Taichi to come too!"

The blond took a quick chug of beer, still standing in the middle of his kitchen. "Sorry, Jun, Taichi only goes for dick."

A giggle from Jun. "Only yours?"

A scoff from Yamato. "Of course."

"Well, it is a very nice dick," she admitted, having had much experience with it.

"You should visit, Jun. Taichi and I would really like it." Yamato finally said after a moment of quietness, being completely sincere in his words.

Neither one said anything for a moment, but then Jun responded and sounded as if she was thinking about a memory that was at the same time happy and sad. Memories have a funny way of being both.

"He would be four years old in a couple months, you know?" she mused, Jun bringing herself to speak about the one thing that her mind always drifted to whenever she let her guard down.

Yamato didn't like this memory, it being one of the hardest things that he had ever gone through. "How do you know it was a boy?"

He sighed, knowing that thinking about what had happened was harder on Jun than it was on him.

"A mother knows, Yamato."

He nodded to no one in particular, and he wondered if the boy had lived, what he would have named their son?


	5. Cold

Just coming back and editing, don't mind old Uncle Kal.

Quote of the day:

**_"But don't forget that as long as God gives you life we will still be mothers and no matter how revolutionary you may be, we have the right to pull down your pants and give you a whipping at the first sign of disrespect."_**

**—Úrsula, _One Hundred Years of Solitude_**

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><p>He shivered under the cold raindrops as he and Taichi continued to make their way to the place where Sora had practically demanded they catch a bite to eat. She seemed like a nice enough person, with eyes that were bright like Hikari's and with a voice that sounded in an almost sing-song sort of way, but even so Yamato had noticed a certain glint in her eye that he wasn't sure whether or not Taichi had seen in the eight months that the latter had spent living with her. It was something he had heard from a prostitute once as a boy one night as he walked the streets of Odaiba's red-light district, that lonely souls could recognize each other with a simple look and nod of the head. He had never really known what to think about it growing up, the word of a rat always being something that was suspect, but the older he became, the more simplicity and truth Yamato saw in that old prostitute's words. Perhaps Taichi had not noticed it, perhaps that was even for the best, but when he met eyes with Sora the morning after he stumbled his way to the apartment, Yamato knew that the two of them were kindred spirits, even if it was in loneliness.<p>

It was funny really once he thought about it while he and Taichi continued trying and failing to dodge the raindrops that mercilessly continued to beat down on them, that as oblivious as the young man beside him was about it, that lonely hearts often found themselves in Taichi's company. He didn't know what had gone down in Sora's mind when she met Taichi for the first time, the only thing Yamato really knew about it was the fact that they had met on a train a few days after Taichi had left Odaiba, searching for an adventure and a home somewhere out in the rest of Japan. Rain or no, Taichi was like the sun, and the one thing that Yamato was sure about was that Sora had seen that sunshine, just as he always had.

"You okay, Yamato?" Taichi asked, not sure what exactly Jun and the man young man beside him had talked about on the phone just a few days earlier, considering that Ishida had been much quieter than was usual since then.

Yamato didn't say anything, being a tad bit too cold to completely focus on Taichi, and instead reached into the drenched pockets of his pants to pull out the pack of cigarettes that been hopefully protected from the rain. To his dismay, the small cardboard box that contained his cancer sticks couldn't stop them from becoming damp, and he sighed as he tucked it back to where they originally were.

"You're walking awfully close to me," he said once he shook his head and took his mind off the familiar tobacco that had been his usual comfort throughout his life.

In response Taichi only gave a quick shrug, at the time unconsciously closing just a bit of the already small distance that existed between the two of them as they walked. "We're not in Odaiba anymore."

Yamato nodded, not really knowing what to make of Taichi's last comment. Yamato noted Taichi's tune as being a happy one, one of cheer, but that joy was not contagious. He knew that the brunet meant it in way to reassure him, but instead whenever he heard Taichi talk like that it always made him feel bitter, made him feel like his father once used to. "You think it's raining over there right now?"

Taichi frowned, realizing the possible insensitivity of his words considering the way that Yamato had abruptly changed the topic. He opened his mouth to clarify what he meant, but then closed it and figured it best to just drop the previous subject. "I'll ask Hikari later," he said after a moment, Taichi knowing better than to give an apology, Yamato's life already being filled with them.

"What do you think Takeru and her are doing right now? Daisuke is probably off with them too now that I think about it."

His mind was slowly forgetting the shame that he had heard in Taichi's words when he said it was okay for them to be close since they weren't back in their hometown, and Yamato wondered why Taichi had any shame whatsoever. He had always had the opinion that being in a homosexual relationship with Taichi didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, because at the end of the day whatever they did in the bedroom didn't change who they were. Good people like Taichi didn't deserve to feel shame just for the living out the way they felt inside.

"I hope that Daisuke is with them," Taichi replied with a disapproving shake of his head, "because that way at least I know that my sister has her clothes on."

Yamato chuckled, knowing that Taichi was still uncomfortable about the fact that his little sister was sexually active. He remembered when they had first caught their siblings doing it, and Yamato always looked back on the moment fondly. It was raining, the same type of rain that they were now strolling in, and when he and Taichi walked into the room he shared with his brother, they found Hikari and little Teeks under the sheets with clothing lying beside the bed. It was awkward, and Yamato let his small laugh rest into a smile upon remembering the way that his brother had tried to play it off. Takeru said that Hikari and him were cold and that they had heard that skin on skin contact was the best way to get warm. His brother was usually smart, but it was one of the most humorously idiotic things he had ever seen.

"You know, Jun would disagree with you there." Yamato paused for a moment and heightened the pitch of his voice as he tried to do an impression of his ex-girlfriend, "the more people who are naked, the better. "

Taichi grunted since he thought that it was still better if Hikari didn't do those types of things, but he shrugged it off for the moment and made a mental note that he too had to call Jun to see how things were back in Odaiba now that she didn't have them around to reel in her more fanciful traits. "Speaking of Jun, how is she holding up?"

"She says she misses us, but she's happy." Yamato yawned due to the rain, at the same time deciding to add an addendum to his words, "Happy and horny."

Taichi laughed out loud, heartily in a way that was as if the sun was shining instead of it being gloomy with the rain that surrounded them. "Happy is horny, Yamato."

Yamato forced a smile and nodded his head again as they continued to walk in the rain, heading to the direction that Sora had given them. He decided not to tell Taichi what he and Jun had talked about.

For some reason, Yamato felt cold again.


	6. Love

This entire chapter was written while listening to the official theme song for _Dead Island_. While the game was only okay and got tedious rather quickly, the song itself is breathtaking and was the reason I pre-ordered the game an hour after I heard it for the first time. Go listen to it.

Quote of the day:

_**"But I have infinite tenderness for you. I always will. All my life long."**_

_**-Emma, Blue is the Warmest Color**_

* * *

><p>Yamato stared fondly at the cityscape of Osaka, the district called Doyama, and as he chewed on some of the karaage that his new roommate Sora had bought, Yamato decided that maybe the rain wasn't all that bad after all. The chicken tasted good against his tongue, and Yamato continued watching the falling of drop after drop of rain. He wondered if Takeru was watching the rain as well, it having an odd place in both of their hearts, and he hoped that if Teeks was, that the kid wouldn't feel alone without him.<p>

It had been raining the day that their mother had left them, and Yamato remembered even then watching the raindrops just outside his window, as he at the same time watched as their mother walked farther and farther away from them. Takeru was too young to understand, he would always be too young, but Yamato knew why Natsuko had left, and sometimes he wished that she had taken them with her. When it became apparent that their mother would not return to them, Takeru was heartbroken, but Yamato remembered being relieved that their mother was finally safe. He also recalled the last kiss his mother had ever given him, but what would be forever seared into his memories more than the actual touch of her lips was her smell. She smelled like cigarettes and lavender.

The rain was where Yamato and Takeru would sometimes hide from their father when the beatings became just too much to handle. Whenever it rained the two of them always left their home for an 'adventure' was what he told the young and oblivious Teeks, and Yamato, without ever acknowledging it, knew that their mother was the reason behind their actions. She had escaped when it was raining, and in a way that only little boys can do, they did as well. He didn't know whether it was a way to honor or remember the woman, or even just to remind themselves that she had abandoned them, but Yamato knew that it was a mistake every time they returned to their father when the sun came out. Yamato had long stopped caring that his father had ruined his childhood, but watching the rain fall again, in the same way he used to at Takeru's side, he felt bitter towards Hiroaki for ruining such a beautiful thing; for ruining even rainfall.

"Takeru is okay," Taichi interrupted his thoughts, the young man always noticing whenever the already small amount of light behind his eyes became dimmed.

Yamato didn't acknowledge or respond to Taichi's comment, but he knew he didn't have to, because Taichi was already aware that he was thankful. Taichi knew that he was thinking of his brother, that he was worried of said brother, and with three short words already eased his concern. In the same manner that he thought of Taichi as the sunshine, perhaps he was like the ran as well, able to wash away the bad things.

"That's your brother right?" Sora, apparently as much a tomboy as she was a beautiful young woman, questioned with a mouth full of food, "The one that's dating Taichi's little sister?"

He admitted to himself that even with a stuffed face that he found Sora's voice soothing in a motherly way, in a way like Natsuko's, and Yamato spared a glance her way and nodded. It was more than the usual response he gave most people: with the exception of his brother, the Yagamis, and Jun, but Yamato decided that he would give the girl more of chance than he did others. She had been Taichi's roommate for the past eight months after all.

"That's really cute you know," she perked up in her seat after swallowing her mouthful of food, "one set siblings dating another set of siblings."

Yamato let the thought settle for a moment, and then laughed, actually laughed, in a way that he hadn't for almost a year. It didn't last long, but it was strange enough that Yamato noticed the look that Taichi was giving him. What Sora said wasn't funny, but it made him happy in a way that could only be expressed in laughter. It reminded him that he had Taichi, and that Takeru had Hikari, and after all they had gone through, that they still had people they could always depend on.

He had no idea where his mother was at, and his father was four years dead, and Yamato was glad that through it all, that Taichi was one of his constants, and that he had at least one person that he could always rely on. Taichi was a rock for everyone around him: he was the son that made his parents proud, the adoring brother that would never falter from his sister, the friend who helped his two closest ones get over the death of their child, and a lover to no one else but Yamato.

"It just kind of happened, you know?" he replied, content with the laughter Sora had been able to give him, "I got with Taichi, and Takeru got with Hikari."  
>Sora smiled at him, in a way that mothers do, in a way his mother used to, and Yamato felt sour thinking about the woman. Although he would always feel resentment and hurt over the way that she had left her family, had left them, Yamato could at least take solace in the fact that wherever she was and whatever she was doing, that at least Natsuko was safe.<p>

"So are you gay, or do you like women too?" his redheaded companion asked innocently, as if they weren't eating somewhere public.

He shrugged off the sudden question and thought about it for a moment, and Yamato, knowing that the brunet was still uncomfortable with being openly gay, looked at Taichi and wondered what the other young man would have said had the question been asked of him. He had loved Jun, and was in love with Taichi, and Yamato didn't know whether that made him bisexual or straight turned gay. It was something to be curious about, but perhaps it was best left unsaid until Taichi could take more pride in coming to terms with who he was.

"I've been in love with a girl, and right now I'm in love with Taichi. Make of that what you will."

Yamato watched as Taichi looked away from him, looked towards the rainfall, and he knew that Taichi knew what he had been thinking about. Taichi knew everything when it came to him, and Yamato only wished that Taichi also knew how to be able to live without being ashamed, how to live being happy with himself. He remembered his mother's last kiss, the smell of cigarettes and lavender that still danced across his memories, and at that moment wished that he too knew how to live being happy.

Apparently the chirpy type, Sora only bobbed her head in agreement. "I know what you mean, and I feel the same way. Love is love."

The conversation ended there as they went back to their eating, but Yamato's eyes never stopped watching Taichi. They stayed on him until Taichi turned away from the rain to return the look, and Yamato smiled. Love is love.

* * *

><p>Peace be upon you.<p> 


	7. Future

Quote of the day:

_**"We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives."**_

_**-Criswell, Plan 9 from Outer Space**_

* * *

><p>As Yamato leaned on the railing of his balcony, he thought that the air of Osaka was cold, but it was cold in the way that an August twilight was cold, frigid maybe but with the promise of a warmer tomorrow. He enjoyed being out on that balcony, because it reminded of the city and the people that he left behind back in Odaiba. Yamato smiled as he a took a deep breath of the frosty night, glad that it also reminded him of Taichi. He played with the lighter in his hand, and was slightly annoyed with himself for, as Jun would put it when she felt like teasing him, acting like a sentimental mimzy.<p>

"You hear from Takeru yet?" a familiar young man's voice came when he heard the glass door behind him open.

Yamato hid his smile when Taichi began leaning on the railing at his side, like they had done for so many years on so many different balconies, and as he stared out at nothing in particular, he wondered if perhaps Takeru was out there staring right back.

"No," he answered honestly and nonchalantly, trusting that little Teeks knew what he was doing.

Neither young man said anything for about a minute, simply watching the cold air form little clouds of vapor in front of them when it connected with their warm breath, and Yamato thought for a moment about what Taichi had just asked him. Takeru and Daisuke had gone missing three days prior to which no one had heard from them yet, but oddly enough, Yamato found that he wasn't all that worried about where the two teenage boys had gone off to. Having had a shit upbringing by a father who may or may not have been a pimp, he had developed a sixth sense when it came to tragedy, and right now he felt that his little brothers, both of them, were safe.

"My sister called me again," Taichi added, surprised that he was apparently more concerned about the situation than Yamato was, considering that his little brother was the one who had disappeared.

Yamato frowned at the thought of Hikari calling Taichi over and over again to see if he had heard from Takeru or Daisuke yet. "Was she crying?" he asked, knowing that if she was, that she wasn't the only person who had been doing so. There was Yuuko of course, and he could never forget about Jun either.

"Yeah, she's going a little crazy about it, but can you blame her? She's worried sick about the two idiots," a few seconds passed before Taichi remembered to add, "and if these two morons call us before they call Hikari, I'm going Godzilla on their asses."

He gave a grunt that was more of a hum than anything else, and Yamato flicked the flame of his lighter on, and simply remained silent as he admired the fire he created. It was a beautiful thought really, creating light, no matter how small, in the darkness that surrounded them that night. He wasn't sure if Taichi felt it or not, but as his eyes remained on the fire, as they continued to watch the tiny burning light that to him felt almost like a beacon at that moment, something tugged inside of Yamato. "Tell her I said that the two of them are going to be okay."

Taichi was silent for a moment, his eyes too finding the tiny flame at the end of Yamato's lighter. "I did."

He didn't say anything in response, knowing what Taichi probably meant. Hikari had most likely said something rude about him, about how he spent too much time brooding to let himself feel any kind of emotions for anyone else, but he knew that it was better to simply just brush it off, Hikari being too sweet and too distressed to actually mean it.

"Both of them are fine. Trust me," he reassured, Yamato's eyes still drawn to the fire in front of him.

"If you really think that they're okay, then I think so too," Taichi breathed out quietly and simply, admiring the conviction in the other young man's words.

Remembering all the different ways that Taichi had ever looked at him, and seeing the way that Taichi was looking at him that very moment, Yamato was well aware that the same reason he knew nothing was wrong with Takeru and Daisuke, was the same reason he knew nothing was wrong between Taichi and himself. "Daisuke is too protective of Takeru to let anything bad happen to him."

Yamato watched as Taichi pondered on his statement, and he could tell when it finally clicked in his head. He always wondered what Taichi would have thought of Daisuke had the boy been like him in more ways than he thought. He wondered what Taichi now thought of his protégé.

"You're acting like if the two of them," Taichi paused for a moment trying to think of the best way to phrase the rest of his comment, "are like us."

Yamato gave a smile to Taichi, a slight one that even said brunet could barely see, and he knew what to say without hesitation. "If Hikari weren't around they would be."

In Osaka, in Doyama, everything was supposed to be different, but even after spending two months away from Odaiba it all felt the same to Yamato. He still smoked the same brands of cigarettes, and he still felt the same cravings for them when he didn't smoke enough. He still talked to Jun when she called, and he still felt the same guilt and sadness that came with hearing her voice. He still had no job, and he still lived off the same money his father had left him when he was murdered. He still had the memories of said father, and no matter what he did he still had the same past that came with those memories. Feeling that Taichi was now inching closer to him as they were leaning on the railing of their balcony, like he used to do back in Odaiba, Yamato felt a tug in his heart.

He still had the same future.


	8. There and Back Again

Quote of the day:

**_Gandalf: You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own, when you come back. _**  
><strong><em>Bilbo: Can you promise that I will come back? <em>**  
><strong><em>Gandalf: ...No. And if you do, you will not be the same.<em>**

**_— The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey_**

* * *

><p>Yamato had been right in his earlier thoughts to never doubt his own intuition, Takeru and Daisuke being found just as safe as he had already told everybody else that they would be. It had taken a week after his brother and Motomiya had gone missing for anybody to find them, and the thing that had surprised everyone, especially Yamato, was the fact that the two teenage boys hadn't just run to anywhere, but they had ended up in Doyama of all places. He thought that they were idiots since their excuse for leaving Odaiba was wanting to go on a small trip without anybody else knowing where they were to add to the excitement of it. Yamato had no idea why his brother would want to run off to Osaka's gay district since he seriously doubted that Takeru was gay himself, but he had an unvoiced suspicion as to why Daisuke would want to go there, and it was a question that Yamato reminded himself to ask later on who exactly had picked the destination.<p>

He thought that could wait until later though, because at the moment they were all in the room they had rented in a sleeping car train for the trip back to Odaiba. Yamato was still awake as Taichi slept beside him on the bottom bunk in their room, and when he looked across the room at the bruised faces of Takeru and Daisuke, he wondered if he and Taichi had gone too easy on them. His thoughts almost drifted elsewhere, perhaps to Wonderland, when he heard Sora's loud snoring on the top bunk.

When the two idiots had shown up to visit Taichi and Yamato at their apartment, the older pair made sure to teach the younger one a lesson. Taichi had beat on Takeru for a bit, something like three or so minutes if he recalled correctly, for making Hikari cry so much, and Yamato followed Taichi's lead concerning Daisuke for doing the same to Jun. Afterward, they immediately bought train tickets to take the both of them home.

"Takeru?" Daisuke whispered, leaning just a bit closer to Takeru's ear, apparently not knowing that little Teeks wasn't the only person whose attention he had garnered.

Yamato was watching the two boys as they tried to sleep on floor, considering that not having a good night's sleep was part of their punishment, and a part of him couldn't help but wonder on just what kind of relationship that Takeru and Daisuke had, couldn't help but be curious about if the love they had was deeper than that of best friends. When he was their age he had fallen in love with both Jun and Taichi, and even though Yamato knew that his brother was in love with Hikari, he sometimes wondered if the same applied to Daisuke. His youth had been a whirlwind of confusion, of regret and heartache, and as he watched the two of them he wasn't sure if for them that same wind was either a breeze or a hurricane.

Takeru just grumbled, inching away from Daisuke. "I'm trying to sleep."

His brother's response was an annoyed tired one, but it reminded Yamato that he too had to go to sleep. They would be in Odaiba soon enough, and it was best if he was more energized for when they were going to meet up with Jun and the Yagamis. Taichi sneezed beside him, and for some reason it made Yamato think about what kind of cigarettes he would buy when he was back in his old city. It was a random thought.

"I have a question," Daisuke continued, voice wavering as he whispered, despite the fact that Takeru probably didn't want to hear it until they were back home, under a sunny and more awake Odaiba sky.

Hearing how Daisuke sounded, and hearing the nervous way that he said it, it reminded Yamato of an old memory of Taichi. The brunet had started a conversation the same way a very long time ago, and Yamato would never forget Taichi's look of happiness when he told him that he didn't mind that he was gay. He wondered if Daisuke had already asked that question of his brother, and despite the fact that he doubted it, he wondered if that's what he was about to ask.

"What is it?" Takeru replied, becoming increasingly irritated.

Takeru sounded annoyed and tired. Taichi sneezed. Yamato thought about cigarettes. Life is a cycle.

"Would you ever go to Doyama? Like to live there I mean."

He quirked his eyebrow since it was a question that asked more than what was said, and Yamato reflected over if Takeru was aware of that, just as he was. Even though Daisuke didn't say it, Yamato knew that the question wasn't if Takeru would live there, but it was if Takeru would live there if that was where he was. The way that Takeru didn't answer right away, the way that he saw his little brother's eyes widen for a moment before shaking his head to chase away an unwelcome thought, Yamato knew that his brother understood the question as well.

Takeru pursed his lips, perhaps feeling the same tightening in his chest that Yamato had once felt in memories that over time became more like distant dreams. "If that's what Hikari wanted."

He didn't know what to think of his brother's answer. There was the possibility that Takeru's response was just a roundabout way of telling Daisuke that he didn't want him in the same way that he did, but Yamato pushed the thought out of his mind when he saw how Daisuke had taken the comment. The boy looked like he understood what Takeru had implied, and he sighed. Yamato watched him scoot a bit closer to his brother. Takeru didn't move.

Forcing a quiet chuckle, Daisuke changed the subject. "Hikari's going to be pissed when she sees us."

Yawning, Takeru's face softened, perhaps preparing to sleep, or perhaps grateful for the switch in topics. "She's cute when she's angry."

"She's going to kick your ass," Daisuke shook his head, knowing well enough that telling Hikari she was cute wouldn't be enough to pull them out of the hot water that they were in with her.

"No, she's going to kick her brother's ass when she sees what he did to me."

He continued to watch and listen to them, both teenagers unaware that Yamato had his eyes and ears on them, but after a while their words became slower and their yawning became more frequent, no doubt beckoning the Sandman to finally come and visit them. He didn't exactly know why he eavesdropped on their conversation, but he figured it was because they reminded Yamato so much about himself. Perhaps they would go the same route that Yamato and Taichi went through, or maybe they would find their own completely different path.

He remained silent, the room being filled with the snoring of others, and Yamato closed his eyes, Odaiba calling him home.


	9. Enough

_Quote of the day:_

**_If it takes forever, I will wait for you  
>For a thousand summers, I will wait for you<br>'Til you're back beside me, 'til I'm holding you  
>'Til I hear you sigh here in my arms<em>**

**—_Les Parapluies de Cherbourg_**

* * *

><p>Being back in Odaiba seemed unusual to Yamato, and as he stood and looked around at all the strangers that surrounded him, strangers that called his old city home, all he could do was watch and wonder about what exactly was the reason behind the strangeness. The train station was bustling with people, married folks walking closely together, and younger couples embracing one another, and he nodded to nothing in particular when he noticed that none of the couples were of the same gender. Odaiba was different than Doyama when it came to how one could express their love if that love wasn't of the norm, and it wasn't lost on Yamato the way that Taichi seemed to put some distance between them now that they were in their old hometown. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, and a familiar feeling tugged at his heart.<p>

"Hey, Sora?" he leaned over just a bit and whispered to her, knowing that no one else would be able to hear them considering that they were standing just off to the sidelines of the big emotional reunion that was taking place.

As soon as he spoke her name, Yamato couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the way that he said it so familiarly, so casually. It was what Sora had asked of him when they first met, but either way there was still a part of him that clung to his old life in Odaiba, not wanting to look forwards, not wanting to let anyone else into his heart. There were very few people that Yamato trusted, even fewer that he opened up to, but he wanted to at least make an effort when it came to the young woman standing next to him, his own hard life telling him that perhaps it was something that she needed.

"Yeah?" she whispered, not quite knowing why they were whispering.

His eyes remained staring at the reunion in front of him that was going on dead center in the middle of the train station square, and he couldn't help but quirk his mouth into a smile, content with what he was seeing. His gaze trailed towards his younger brother who was being chastised by Hikari as the rest of the Yagamis stood a little behind them, and then his eyes drifted to Daisuke who was smacked and scolded by Jun. He waited a little until Jun finished berating her brother, and he smiled at his ex-girlfriend as she then started to walk in their direction.

After taking a quick peek at Taichi who was standing with his parents, laughing at the way that Hikari tugged on Takeru's ear, Yamato continued to whisper to Sora. "I'm going to do something in a little bit, and I need you to go along with it, alright?"

What he was going to do was something that he preferred not to, but when his eyes subconsciously rested on Taichi, he knew that he had no choice in the matter. This was something that the other young man needed, so it was something that Yamato would do.

"What is it?" Sora arched her eyebrow, voice as quiet as Yamato's, completely at a loss as to where exactly he was going.

Jun was practically right in front of them now, and he had no time to explain. Though to be fair, Yamato probably wouldn't have told her anyways. "You'll know when it happens."

Sora looked understandably confused, but then nodded, agreeing that she would go along with him on whatever it was that he exactly wanted to do. She wondered why Yamato didn't want to tell her what he was up to beforehand, but her thoughts were interrupted by a girl who hugged, then practically groped, Yamato. She was laughing, in a way that only the very happy or insane do, and Sora smiled at her while she waited to give her greeting. She assumed that this was Yamato's ex-girlfriend that Taichi had told her about, Yamato never one to reveal personal information about himself, but she had a thought pop into her head that she didn't think that this girl would have been Yamato's type. Though, Sora decided to keep that particular thought a secret.

"You must be Sora-chan, right?" Daisuk's sister paused and stopped groping Yamato for a moment as she offhandedly greeted Sora. "Nice to meet you. Name's Jun."

Despite her wariness at Jun's actions, Sora smiled and gave a respectful bow of her head. "Call me Sora."

Jun raised an eyebrow, and then glanced at Yamato who nodded at her. She found Sora to be pretty cute, so Jun figured that she was going to have some fun with her new friend. "Alright, Sora, call me Jun-sama."

Sora was at a loss for words since she didn't precisely know how to respond to such a thing. Addressing oneself as "-sama" was a thing of arrogance, and she doubted that Taichi or Yamato would enjoy the company of such a person. When she had first met Taichi, she was on the same train as him leaving Odaiba, in her more somber moments feeling as if maybe the reason she had first boarded that train was to go off and find herself a home somewhere out in Japan that she just knew was waiting for her. She remembered seeing him just a few seats over from where she was, and she smiled, knowing that the stranger who would later turn out to be Taichi had a good soul.

Seeing the distressed look on Sora's face, Yamato leaned into her again and clarified. "She's joking."

Pretending to be amused, Sora now understood. She laughed awkwardly at what Yamato said now that she knew what Jun meant, and after hearing Jun burst out laughing in response, she decided that her original assessment of Jun being a little insane wasn't all that far off.

Yamato forced a smile on his face, not really in the mood for smiling, and then began to walk towards where Takeru, Daisuke, and all the Yagamis were, footsteps becoming heavier as he felt his reluctance for what he was going to do grow. With Jun and Sora following his lead he made sure to walk faster than them, and Yamato forced himself to stand up straight the moment that he was face to face with Susumu. He gave the man a respectful bow, waited for Yukko to hug him like he knew she would, and for a brief moment thought about his parents. He hoped his mother was okay, and he reminded himself that now that he was in Odaiba that he had to visit his father's grave.

They exchanged generic greetings not really worth recounting, and Yamato felt as if the tedium was going to bog them down the way it made everything seem to drag on. As the pleasantries finished, he watched as Susumu's eyes glanced at Sora and then landed back on him. The older man asked who she was, and Yamato knew what he had to do.

"This is Sora, she's Taichi's girlfriend," Yamato lied, going through with the plan he knew would work.

He played it straight as he ignored the confused looks on everyone's faces, and he was honestly surprised that Susumu himself did not notice. He didn't react when Taichi just laughed and announced that him having a girlfriend was going to be a surprise, and Sora just nervously smiled since she had already agreed to go along with Yamato's lie.

Taichi made his way in between Yamato and Sora, and put an arm around each of them. He was grateful to Yamato for what he did, all the while hoping that he could one day have the strength to stand up to Susumu and tell him the truth, at the same time being proud to do so.

Feeling Taichi's arm draped over his shoulder, Yamato smiled, this time genuinely, and surprisingly felt some inner relief. He didn't care what other people thought about him being in love with another man, but Yamato knew that Taichi just wasn't ready to be as open as he was. Yamato could wait though, because one day he knew that Taichi would become comfortable with who he truly was. Taichi laughed again, and Yamato's smile only grew broader.

For now, this was enough.


	10. Vulgarity

This was written as a request by one of the readers, and if you have any requests just let me know and I'll see if I can make it happen. Word of warning, this chapter has sexual connotations to it.

Quote of the day:

_**"Now, I'm not trying to sound funny here, but are you sure he's just not some midget with a mental disability?"**_

_**-Ron Burgundy, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues**_

* * *

><p>It was nice to actually have Taichi to himself for a day, and although Yamato didn't want to seem ungrateful to the people around him, he was glad that they had all had other plans. His brother was on some dinner date with Hikari since he promised her something fancy as an apology for running off on her, Susumu had taken Yukko off on a surprise overnight trip to put a little spark in their romance, and even Sora and Daisuke were gone thanks to Jun, Yamato not even feeling guilty that he had forgotten where she had dragged them off to. He and Taichi were alone for the first time in a while, and Yamato smiled being well aware that said brunet was naked and taking a bath.<p>

Yamato walked to the bathroom of the Yagami apartment being giddy as a horse running its first race track, knowing that Taichi had entered it a half hour before, but as he went to open it he was surprised when he saw that Taichi was already wearing a towel. The blond looked at said towel, and thought about what way it would be easiest to get rid of the thing. He was already riled up, and he didn't want to take care of running on his race track on his own, so to speak.

"Is there something you need Yama-chan?" Taichi playfully tightened the towel that was wrapped around his waist with a hint of tease being laced in his voice, said hint working wonders on getting Yamato more excited than he already was. He leaned on the frame of the bathroom door, and he tried his best to look hot.

Yamato knew that said task wasn't that hard for Taichi, but he also knew that when he actually put some effort into it, that the brunet looked better than when he was being nonchalant. "I need you to get naked."

Taichi laughed at how straight forward and tactless Yamato had just been, but he grinned as he decided to play along. He removed his hand from his towel to let it drop, but as Yamato got up from leaning on the door frame with clear intentions in mind, Taichi instead started getting dressed with some clothes that he had laid out for after his bath. Needless to say, Yamato looked very annoyed.

It was something that only made Taichi laugh as he shrugged off Yamato's advances. "If you wanted to mess around, you should have told me before I got clean."

Of course the now mostly dressed Taichi had to have been teasing him. It was annoying, and it left Yamato with only one weapon in his arsenal: he had to seduce the other young man with refinement and showmanship. "Since when do we plan when we fuck?"

Or he could lack subtlety, and be vulgar. Yeah, that always worked.

Taichi just shrugged again. "Since, we're in Odaiba."

Yamato frowned, not exactly liking the implications of the statement. He didn't like how just because they were now in their old city that they had to hide what they shared with each other. Yamato had never been ashamed of loving anyone, whether it be Jun or Taichi, and he could never hide the fact that it irritated him that Taichi couldn't be comfortable with himself. Although, he shook the thought out of his mind after he noted that this was supposed to be a happy day. "So, no sex? Not even hand stuff?"

Taichi chuckled at the 'hand stuff' comment. What were they? Junior high? Yamato seemed a little bit more assertive than usual, and Taichi was glad that the blond would always come out of his shell when he was involved. To almost anybody else he was always aloof, stoic even, but with him, especially when they were in private, Yamato would express himself more. Taichi thought it was a shame that Yamato didn't speak more often than he did, because he personally thought that his boyfriend, or lover as some would say, had a beautiful voice, like magic. "You're in a good mood today, and I don't want to spoil it."

Yamato looked at him oddly, trying to decide if Taichi was being serious of if he was just making an excuse, but when he was satisfied that the other young man was being sincere, Yamato only sighed. Leave it to Taichi to act sweet. There was no way that he could get annoyed whenever it came to something like that.

"What do you mean I'm in a good mood?" Yamato asked for some clarification, dreading the answer.

Sure he didn't acknowledge it at that instant simply because at the moment he would rather have Taichi naked in the bathtub rather than be standing there chatting with him, but it was true that the day felt less strenuous than most. It was as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and Yamato had yet to smoke, or even think about smoking any cigarettes. It was odd, and seemed out of place to be in such a good mood, but Yamato decided to just let it slide for now. He wanted to see what Taichi's reasoning was behind his opinion.

"You look happy."

"I'm horny."

Taichi laughed again, finding the whole conversation hilarious. "What's the difference?"

He couldn't help but give a slight smile at Taichi's rhetorical question, and Yamato felt instant déjà vu. He gently pushed Taichi a little further into the bathroom, and locked the door behind him as he removed his shirt. Personally he thought it was a good sign when Taichi simply shrugged and began getting undressed.

Apparently, vulgarity does work.


	11. Graves

Look out for the Shakespeare reference.

Quote of the day:

**_Naomi: Hamlet's basically a teenage boy. He's got all these desires, but he doesn't have the bottle to reach out for them. So, he goes mad, and wanks off about Ophelia, and ends up so boring, somebody has to kill him! _**  
><strong><em>Josie: I'm not sure that's right. There's no wanking in Hamlet. <em>**  
><strong><em>Naomi: Yeah, there is. Loads. Only they call it "soliloquising".<em>**

**_— Skins_**

* * *

><p>Paying respects.<p>

Yamato wondered if it was a bit hypocritical of him to do so concerning his father, and as he stood at Hiroaki's grave, he was unsure of how to feel. Sure, his father was to put it bluntly an asshole for most of his life, but Yamato didn't forget that there were rare good memories as well. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that Hiroaki could actually be a kind man at times, and as he stood at the final resting place of his father, wet grass at his feet and the chirping of one lone cricket riding the air around them, Yamato could still recall a time where he wasn't ashamed to call the man his father.

It was before the ever shining brightness of Odaiba's red light district had become the focus of Hiroaki's life, before all he did in between working was smoking and drinking excessively, before he had started to verbally put down his family, before he had started coming home smelling of, as Natsuko put it in those days long past by, whores, before he had actually first struck his wife, and before Hiroaki then moved on to his children. Yamato could still vaguely remember his parents laughing together, holding each other close, a hint of lavender dancing in the air, and one of his fondest memories was when Hiroaki actually told him that he was proud of him right after mastering a simple tune on his harmonica. Yamato wondered what had happened to make his father change. He wondered what had happened to make his family's life turn to shit.

"Yamato?" a soft voice came at his side.

He turned his attention to Jun, who had accompanied him to visit what was apparently supposed to be his family's burial plot, and he let out the breath that he had been holding in since he honestly didn't even want to be there anymore, and he didn't want Jun to be there either. He had always seen her as a mostly happy person despite the fact that she, like him, didn't have that good of a home life growing up. It wasn't as bad as his was, but she still felt neglected by parents who barely acknowledged her existence, and Yamato sometimes figured that this was part of the reason that they had connected and became friends, and subsequently lovers, when they were young. In nostalgic times Yamato wondered where he and Jun would be if they had never broken up due to his cheating on her with Taichi, and these times were also accompanied by daydreams of how different their lives would have been if the kid hadn't died.

Yamato tried not to think of the baby much, it was more tragic than anything else, but being there with Jun, in the same plot where the child was buried made not thinking of it impossible.

It, the way he would sometimes refer to the baby always left a bad taste in his mouth, but that was the only thing he could call it since he and Jun had never actually learned the gender. They had wanted it to be a surprise, like in those happy sappy movies that Jun was always so fond of, but when the baby was born, when they were told that it wouldn't survive the night, it was Yamato's decision that just learning what it was would have made the situation all the more difficult. Though, that didn't stop Jun from considering the child a boy, because, as she once put it, a mother knows her child.

"Yeah?" was his only response, never being much for talking, even when it came to Taichi or Jun, and Yamato had to stop himself from forcing a smile. He had forced so much in the past, but now, standing where both his father and his son were buried, it just seemed wrong. Everything was just fucking wrong.

She breathed only slightly, Jun's words less of a statement than an acknowledgment. "Are you okay?"

Yamato sighed, even now she was concerned for him when it should have been him that was consoling her instead. That's how she, and Taichi, always were with him, always looking out for his best interests no matter what. It was honestly one of the few things that Yamato could thank his father for, because his actions, abusive or not, molded who Yamato was, and practically decided how people viewed him, and how they treated him in turn.

Takeru was different than he was in that regard, never letting anyone or anything ever dim that fire of hope in his eyes that never seemed to ever stop burning. Little Takeru was still angry, still resentful, but Yamato understood that bad things happen for no good reason, and that such was life. Fairy tale endings and happy little stories don't exist, and to think otherwise, to tell children otherwise was just simply naive. Glancing at the tiny spot where the baby had been buried, Yamato wondered if he would have told him any silly little stories; if he would have given him the same hope that against all odds still forever burned inside his brother.

"Yeah. How about you?"

He didn't feel like talking, and Yamato was actually ticking the time away in his mind to when he could get out of there. He felt awkward being there, highly uncomfortable, and at that moment he randomly wondered about what Taichi was doing. Taichi had decided, as he always did, to not accompany Yamato and Jun to visit the grave site, since he always said it was a more personal thing between thee two of them.

"I'm fine," Jun paused, seeing the look on Yamato's face, a look she had seen numerous times before, and she knew that something was on his mind. There were many things that had troubled Yamato, that had haunted him even though he would never admit it, and Jun knew that he was the type of person that needed to be prodded to open up, "what are you thinking about?"

In truth, it wasn't much of a grave site with only two people buried in it, and Yamato's eyes just kept going back and forth between his father and his son. When the time came near for the baby to be born, Hiroaki had actually started to get his act together a little bit, but after it died, the old man seemed to lose a tiny bit of himself. Yamato figured that his father had wanted to become a better person for the sake of his grandchild, and he thought it was a shame that when the baby died, that something inside of Hiroaki seemed to die as well. It wouldn't have even been a month later that his father was gunned down, violently murdered, and even though Hiroaki wasn't the best father around, Yamato knew that near the end there was a tiny bit of good in him. Too bad good can't stop a bullet to the head.

"Let's go."

It was that simple to just forget about everything, to just push it to the back of his mind, and Yamato just began walking away, knowing that Jun would soon follow his lead. He didn't want to talk about how shitty he thought everything was, how fucked up the world could be, because honestly that was something he was reminded of everyday. Whether it was his home life when he was younger, the slowly eroding openness he had in his friendship with Jun, the fact that he and his brother were becoming more and more distant each day, his mother who had been missing for years, or even Taichi and the fact that he was ashamed of their love, Yamato didn't want to think about it. His mind would always go to dark places, his soul was haunted, and he had to remind himself that at least his son and Hiroaki had finally found peace. Sometimes, however macabre that it was, Yamato wished for that same peace.

Just a quick moment of pain, and the rest is silence.


	12. Glad

I wrote this chapter as I listened to _Pyro_ by Kings of Leon.

Quote of the day:

** _"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but _really_ loves you, then you become Real."_**

**— _The Velveteen Rabbit_**

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><p>It was the last day before they left Odaiba, and Yamato and Taichi had decided to take a late night walk, not really wanting to spend the last few hours in their hometown just lying in bed. They had to head back to Osaka pretty soon, having already stayed in Odaiba for longer than was actually necessary, but even so, as they walked the familiar streets of the place they once called home, it made the young man glad that he and Taichi had been able to postpone their nightly visit from Mr. Sandman. It was nice to visit the old city, but Yamato knew that it wasn't their home anymore, and no matter how much it warmed his heart with nostalgia to walk through it, that it wasn't right to stay there.<p>

"I'm cold." Taichi said after a moment, the young man shivering as he spoke.

Seeing his breath take form in the cold air in front of him, he silently agreed with Taichi, and he rubbed his palms together all the while regretting that he hadn't worn gloves. They continued to walk in silence, the night being much too late for anyone else to be there, and Yamato remained quiet as ever, until his eyes glazed over something he hadn't expected to see that night. "Taichi?"

He almost didn't realize it when he stopped, and Yamato just stared at the familiar concrete wall that had turned out to be a crossroad in his life. It was the same wall where he had met Taichi, and as he stood in front of it he wondered if the other young man remembered it just like he did. Yamato thought it was silly, but he had a tiny hope that Taichi hadn't forgotten about it. It wasn't often that he felt giddy about something.

"Yeah?"

Despite the cold that was two in the morning in Japan, Yamato rested his hand on the concrete wall and smiled. He felt like a little kid again that was storming through a life that was filled with possibilities, and Yamato barely even noticed the way that the cold air had numbed his face. He was happy. "This is where we met."

He was too distracted to realize that Taichi was now directly behind him with his mouth held up to his ear. Whether they were bad or good, feelings had always made Yamato be off his guard. Usually it was something that became a cause of concern for him, but Yamato had long since decided that if it was a feeling that had to do with Taichi, that there wasn't really much that he could do. Being prepared for the future was something that was impossible considering the wild horse of a person that Taichi was in his life, like a stallion bursting through the stables of those old taskmasters, breaking bad as his ironed hooves ran not only to a more exciting life, but towards one that was free as well.

"I know." It was a whisper that didn't cause Yamato to flinch, and when he looked over his shoulder, he saw how Taichi made his next action a private little show for his eyes only. He gave a scream that sounded like one of victory and confidence, and he twirled, or rather spun wildly, as he then landed a few feet away from Yamato with his back to the concrete wall. Yamato smiled as it was the same type of position that Taichi was in the first time that they had ever spoken. "That's why this is my favorite park."

The smile only grew from there. "You're a real idiot sometimes."

Following Taichi's lead, Yamato turned around and began leaning on the wall beside him, and he couldn't help but look away from the young man that was a few feet away from him. He wasn't sure whether the rosy color of his cheeks was from the cold or Taichi's simple words.

Taichi smirked, inching just the tiniest bit closer to Yamato all the while. "You don't need to hide your blush."

He said nothing, instead simply standing up off the wall and resuming his walk around the park. He knew that he didn't need to hide the fact that he was blushing, but Yamato was still uncomfortable because of it. "Taichi?" he asked out loud when the other young man resumed walking at his side without saying another word, cheeks frosty and burning all at the same time.

Even after he had said Taichi's name, they still walked on for a few more minutes in silence. It almost made them feel guilty to say anything at all. Japan sounded beautiful at night.

"Yeah?" Taichi responded, his own cheeks becoming rosy as the shadows and lights of the night gleamed across his face.

It was like a cliché, walking with Taichi through a park, but Yamato decided to ignore that fact for the moment, and it was then that he realized that this park was one of the things that he was going to miss the most about Odaiba when he went back to Osaka. Regardless, he knew he would go back to his new city without a second thought. His home was where Taichi was, and Yamato knew that no matter what happened, no matter the consequences, that he would follow him even to the ends of Japan.

"I'm glad that I met you."

The pacing of their walking was slowing down and he knew that Taichi was thinking about what he said. Yamato would very rarely be open about his feelings, and whenever he was it made Taichi ponder. There was so much that was unspoken between them, but there was so much that they knew that was there.

"Yamato?" Taichi whispered after what seemed like an eternity.

"Yeah?" Yamato whispered back, his voice taking just as long to answer.

He was cold and tired, and he smiled when he looked over at the young man who had been by his side for so many years already. He felt like a kid again, and his cheeks remained rosy red.

"I'm glad I met you too."


	13. Magic

So this is chapter 13 of **_A Home At the End of Japan_**, and I just realized that this is my first upload of 2012. This is my fourth try at writing chapter 13, and it's the first one that I'm satisfied with. All my other ones came out crappy in my opinion so I just scrapped them. This I at least find to be somewhat good, so as always your feedback is appreciated to see how you guys thought that I did this round.

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon.

* * *

><p>As Yamato sat with his legs dangling off the side of the rooftop of his apartment building, he silently thought that the world seemed just the tiniest bit different when looking at it from high in the air. It made everything seem like a faraway dream; it made living in the moment the only thing that was possible. And he wondered if this was how birds felt flying free without a care in the world? Personally, he preferred this question to be one that went unanswered, and Yamato just smiled as he dangled his legs in the coldness that was two in the morning in Japan. There was a certain magic to it all.<p>

"It's cold as shit out here."

All he could do was laugh. Leave it to Taichi to be the only person who could break the nice little ambience he was in, and still keep him in a good mood. Yamato didn't know how Taichi did it, he didn't know how he had been doing it ever since they had met, but he figured that it was better if didn't question his good luck.

"Makes you wonder why we even come out here right?"

What Yamato said was a lie. Neither he or Taichi ever questioned what they were doing, ever questioned what they did, and it seemed just mere coincidence that all their happy moments, all their secret ones, happened in the darkness.

"Maybe we should go in soon?"

As he saw the cold form into random shapes when Taichi spoke, Yamato was only reminded that there was something that he had always seen as different when it came to the air of Osaka. Maybe it was because it was a different type of city than Odaiba was, and Yamato didn't really know what to make of it. It didn't feel or taste like home, and yet the way it contrasted with his old city made Yamato believe he was free.

"Just a few more minutes, okay?"

He didn't need to look to know that Taichi had shrugged in response, and Yamato just went back to looking at the cityscape. Sure it was dangerous how he and Taichi were sitting on the edge of their roof, but it was something that they never really thought about. It was the middle of the night, they were cold, they were tired, and they had no reason to be outdoors in the first place; it was perfect.

"Taichi."

There was something that was on Yamato's mind, in truth it had been on his mind for years since he and Taichi had always avoided addressing it, but out here in Osaka, in the middle of the night, he felt that it was okay to talk about. Life for the two of them had been different since they left Odaiba, more open without having to hide who they were, and Yamato had grown to be fond of it all. He still preferred Odaiba and knew that nothing would ever feel more like home than his old city, but out here Taichi wasn't scared to act how he wanted; wasn't afraid to show Yamato affection.

"Yeah, what's up?"

He hesitated since he knew that what he was about to ask could make Taichi very uncomfortable, but Yamato felt that it was about time that he had an answer. They had been together for years already, and even after all this time, even after how much they told each other that they loved one another, Yamato still couldn't say that they were dating. He knew that it was somewhat of a silent understanding amongst themselves and close friends and family that they were deeply involved, but he just had to hear it from Taichi; just once.

"What are we?"

Yamato didn't look his way, but he could just imagine how Taichi looked right now. He pictured an embarrassed and reluctant looking young man twiddling his thumbs as he dangled his legs over the edge of the roof not really wanting to talk out loud about how they were gay with one another. That's why it surprised when he felt another hand rest on his.

He knew that it meant that Taichi still wasn't ready to talk, but it was more than Yamato expected. He understood the inner turmoil made it a difficult subject to take head on, and he figured that it was best to just simply wait it out instead of trying to push it. He had heard of so many stories of other boys and men in similar situations, he had seen some with his own eyes, and Yamato hoped that there could be a day that two people being in love wasn't something to hate only because said people were of the same gender.

It wasn't something that Yamato wouldn't have cared about otherwise since he didn't really like people in general, but seeing how Taichi sometimes battled with his sexuality made the problem seem all the more real to him. He knew that even though Taichi would never say it that the brunette sometimes wished that he was straight as to avoid all the possible problems that came with being something else, and it was something that Yamato hated to think about. He hated being something that somebody was ashamed about.

The one bright thing about it all though, was that here in Osaka things seemed to be getting better. Taichi wasn't afraid to be seen holding hands with Yamato, he wasn't scared to kiss him in public, and every night spent like this felt like another step closer to freedom. Yamato felt Taichi squeezed his hand, and felt a certain something flutter inside him; magic.


	14. Brighter

It's been awhile since I've last updated, a lot of you may know the personal problems that I went through, but enough is enough and here I am with another chapter. Truth be told I didn't really know where to go with the story, so I decided to do an sitcom trick, despite that being something that doesn't really sound like it's appropriate to go along with this type of story, and well I want to see if yio guys can figure what I did or what I plan to do.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon, but I feel chilled out writing this disclaimer.

P.S. I'm a Watchmen fanboy and whoever, if anyone at all, can get the Watchmen allusion that I use in this chapter, they get a special present. No joke.

* * *

><p>"You know, you could've stayed home if you wanted to. I'm sure I wouldn't have had that much trouble finding the place."<p>

Yamato shrugged at what Jun said as he carried two of her three bags, her holding on to only the smallest one, and not really noticing where he was walking he stepped into a puddle that ended up soaking most of his right foot. She laughed at him in the way that she always did bursting with life, and Yamato just sighed annoyed that it had rained earlier, and after a few more steps, ones that he made sure avoided any puddles of course, he somewhat sort of wished that Jun had decided to move in with him, Taichi, and Sora on a dryer day. He wasn't a big fan of rain…or people all that much.

"Eh, I prefer picking you up myself. Better safe than sorry, June bug."

Shitty rainy day or not, Yamato always enjoyed using Taichi's nickname for Jun, and he didn't even have to ask to know that Jun was fond of it as well. It was a dumb nickname, just kid shit really, but it was one of those things that always caused the nostalgia goggles to come out. No matter how fucked up a person's life is or was, when looking back on it the good moments always seem all the more better. Shining, like a brand new quarter stuck in a month old dog turd.

"I can take care of myself Yamato."

Ah, good ol' headstrong Jun. It was something about her that bothered him when they were dating, but now that they were just friends, though Yamato had the feeling that Jun might still want to be more than that, it was something that he admired about her. Say what you will about the crazy, perverted, and coarse young woman; Jun didn't take shit from anybody.

"I know, it's the other people I'm worried about."

Well, except from maybe Yamato.

"Jackass."

Yamato didn't reply with anything, and was just glad that they were almost to his apartment since his arms were getting tired from carrying Jun's bags. It was a long ways from the train station, and in hindsight it would have been much smarter to just catch a cab or bus instead of deciding to walk. Though, much of his tiredness could be attributed to the fact that he hadn't smoked anything all day, instead helping Taichi and Sora fix the place up to make room for Jun. He almost didn't notice that she said anything.

"Hey Yama?"

Almost.

"Hmmmm?"

"Are there any straight hotspots around here?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, and he could honestly say that Jun had caught his interest. She was the brand new resident in one of the gayest parts of Japan, and she was asking for a place to meet straight guys in this of all places? Hell, this just goes to show that all the jokes about Jun being insane do have at least a little bit of truth in them.

"Why?"

"You don't really expect me to spend my first day in a new city not having sex do you?"

They crossed the street as she said this, Yamato's apartment building barely coming into view, and he let her words sink in. Taichi was a different case, but when it came to the two of them they had family lives that were to put it simply, shit. That's why they always needed an outlet in their lives, friendship and an odd game every now and then when they were younger, vices and sex when older, that's what the two of them needed just to get by. It was something that always made Yamato question, why Taichi surrounded himself with people that were completely fucked up; people that weren't like him, _normal_.

"If you want to meet straight guys you got to leave Doyama and check out the other parts of Osaka."

It was a simple enough answer to give to his partially crazy ex-girlfriend. From the distance that he was at, Yamato glanced at the front door of his building, glad that they were getting closer to it with each passing second, and he sighed really wanting a cigarette. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to help Jun get laid.

"Alright, let's all go tomorrow?"

"Sure, if Taichi and Sora are okay with it. But are you sure you want to get involved with someone already? You barely got here."

He didn't look at Jun already knowing that she was going to dismiss him, but hey he had to say something. Ever since she had become single Jun also became, as she would call it anyways, 'sexually free'. It wasn't something that Yamato particularly liked since the more 'free' she was, the more she gave him to worry about. He didn't like knowing that she gave blowjobs to random tourists that she met, or fucked married men twenty years her senior, but he made sure to say only minimal things about it. It wasn't his business, and well if Jun wanted to slut out, she had his support.

"I'm not looking for a boyfriend, all I want is a guy with a cute face and a big dick, and that's good enough for me."

"You sure?"

Fuck, he stepped in a puddle again. Naturally Jun laughed, but this time Yamato wasn't sure if it was because of his now wet left foot, or if she had somehow perceived him to be a prude since he wasn't exactly very enthusiastic about getting her sex. As always, the laugh was full of life.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Nothing more was said as they then walked in silence for just a little bit, but of course Jun was the one who broke it when they finally reached the front his building. So, this was her new home eh?

"So, Taichi and Sora are really okay with me living here?"

"Don't worry about it, Sora's cool and you know Taichi loves you."

He heard her grunt as if she was taking what he said about Taichi to be something sappy about friendship and what not, and then he looked over at her and smiled. He could tell that there was something on her mind. Honestly though, with the lives they've had, there was always something that was rushing through their thoughts.

"Do you ever miss it Yamato? When it was just you, me, and him versus the world?"

Versus the world? Huh. Leave to Jun of all people to ask him a question that was actually thought provoking. Honestly, he didn't like thinking of things that he missed in the past, or things that had hurt him, but as Yamato took some steps to enter his apartment he knew that he agreed with Jun on this point. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't view Osaka as his home; it just wasn't Odaiba.

"Yeah," There was something about the future, something that he wasn't sure what it was, that made it seem just a little bit darker every day. And no matter how bad it had been, no matter all the broken bones and bloody faces that became the basis of his childhood, the past just kept shining brighter, "I miss it."

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><p>I don't know why, but this chapter to me seems bigger than my other ones. I don't think it is though. Weird. Anyways, yeah I wanted this chapter to convey the feeling of nostalgia, and I'm satisfied with how it came out. After a long wait, did I pull out a chapter you guys enjoyed? Anything specific you may want to see in the future?<p> 


	15. Drunk

Ever hear the term short and simple? Yeah, that's this chapter. Apathy can only get you so far, and I decided to sprinkle in a little bit more of that rare happiness into this story. It's nothing big since it's a chapter that's shorter than most, but I think it's something you guys will like at least.

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon.

P.S. What's my goal in this story? I'm not really going anywhere to be honest. Would this count as a slice of life story? I'm not sure of the answer, and frankly I'm a bit curious to what you guys think. What is your opinion on the kind of story this is?

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><p>The fire was getting closer to him, the smoke filling his lungs, and out of the corner of his eye Yamato glanced around his trashed apartment hoping that he wouldn't be the one who had to clean it up later. They had just reached the end of the night, the twilight hours of the morning where everything just seems all the more simple and quiet, and despite the mess that was the result of a wild night for many he found that he had actually enjoyed himself. Sometimes it's good to just let go of shitty thoughts, and celebrate happy times; even if that does mean having to spend time around strangers. He blew out the smoke into the air and got up from the wall that he was leaning on; an uncharacteristic smile genuinely on his face.<p>

There was so much smoke clouding the air, the smell of long gone bodies still lingering around, and Yamato made his way over to a drunken sleeping Jun that was lying on top of Sora on the couch. Making sure not to burn her with the lit cigarette that was in between his fingers, he bent down and grabbed the beer bottle that his ex-girlfriend was still gripping. Noticing that there was still a little bit of beer left in it, he downed the rest of it figuring that that was better than letting it go to waste.

"Fun party?"

Hearing Taichi behind him, Yamato set the bottle down on the ground in front of him and stood back up. Turning to see a grinning Taichi he took a drag of his cigarette, and studied his face for a few seconds. Taichi was clearly not sober, except he didn't exactly look fucked up or anything, but Yamato didn't really care since that meant an easy lay for tonight. Well, it would have any other day anyways, but at the moment sex didn't really seem that important. He turned his head slightly to look at the passed out Jun and Sora on the couch making sure that they were fine where they were at; he decided that he would have to get them blankets later.

"It was okay."

Taichi kept grinning, and Yamato kept smoking his cigarette. Some things never change.

"You had fun."

He shrugged not vocally agreeing or disagreeing with him, that being the normal way he usually agreed with Taichi when he didn't feel like doing so in words. Nothing beats a cold night spent indoors with friends, lovers, beer, and things to smoke.

"You're drunk."

Taichi had that glazy eye that all brothers in spirits share, and on top of that he still had a drink in his hand. Yamato didn't mind though since everyone had their personal vice: he had his need for tobacco, Taichi had his booze and sometimes shame, Jun had her penises that she just loved so much, and Sora...Sora was just fucking awesome.

"I'm happy."

He looked down at a bottle of something that he wasn't sure what it was that Taichi was gripping onto tightly with his right hand. He couldn't help but let out a little chuckle, though he stopped himself when he heard what Taichi said next.

"You're happy."

Happy. That wasn't something that he would usually equate himself to being, but he paused and thought, was he really? Sure, he had spent the night with strangers or acquaintances and that in and of itself was something that he didn't like, but he had also spent it with his favorite people in the world, excluding his brother of course.

He had been able to watch Jun get drunk again just like the old days, the girl who no matter what would always be his sweetheart. He had seen Sora laugh it up and be wild, the girl he could honestly say that he had grown fond of since he had known her. And he had celebrated nothing in particular with Taichi, the idiot who he had grown up with. He took in the wild drunken mess around him and he asked himself once again, was he happy? He watched as Taichi could barely stand, and yet was still expecting an answer. Yeah, he was happy.

"I'm drunk."

It was a lie on Yamato part, an obvious one really since he had barely drunk anything that night always preferring his nicotine over anything else, and Taichi's everlasting grin made it clear that he wasn't falling for it. Knowing that he couldn't do anything else Yamato just smiled again, forgetting that he still had a cigarette in his hand. His smile was as genuine as ever.

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><p>Short and simple eh? I really should be getting to sleep, I couldn't and that was the reason I randomly started working on my gay story of all the ones I could have picked. Though, it is one of my favorite ones I'm on. NOt sure why. In case, night people. You guys are my awesome internet folk. You're the reason I keep coming back to this site.<p> 


	16. Melon Bread

Here I am with the latest chapter, and I still have no clue where this is going. This story is plotless, and yet I'm glad that people like it regardless. One thing though, osomeone asked if I could include more characters. Who in particular do you guys want to see? I'll see if I can throw them in.

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon

P.S. I'm thinking of changing my pen name.

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><p>"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit."<p>

Sticking a spoonful of coffee jelly into his mouth, Yamato shared glances with Jun and Sora as they were eating breakfast, and as they watched Taichi freak out just a few feet away from them in the living room.

"Shit shit shit fuck shit fucking shit fuck shit!"

Casually he just ate a little more of the coffee jelly deciding to wait until Taichi calmed down a little before he asked what was wrong. He drank some of the vodka spiked orange juice that Jun had served him earlier, and Yamato absentmindedly checked his pockets to see if he had any cigarettes left over that he could smoke later. All part of a balanced breakfast.

"Shit shit shit."

Hearing Taichi's curse filled tirade trailing off, Yamato once again looked over at Jun and nodded at her when he saw that familiar glint in her eye. He relaxed a bit in his chair; this was something that everyone's favorite crazy person was going to take care of.

"Something wrong dear?"

Sora smiled hearing what Jun called Taichi, and Yamato just rolled his eyes all the while still eating his rather unhealthy breakfast. When he and Jun had been dating, most of the pet names that she had for him amounted to usually either "boyfriend" or "tiny dick" which nearly all of the time was her way of having fun by annoying him. Taking another swish of his vodka juice, Yamato watched Taichi from the corner of his eye as he pulled out and sat at one of the empty seats of their cheap dining table; the latter looked flustered to say the least.

"I just got off the phone with my parents."

Ah, good old Yuuko and Susumu. Shitty cooks, but damn fine people. Well, in Yamato's opinion anyways.

"Oh, are the kiddies okay?"

Stealing some melon bread off of Sora's plate, ignoring the smack he received from the aforementioned girl, he took a bite out of it and payed close attention to Taichi and Jun's conversation, all the while pretending that he had no interest in it.

"Hikari's fine."

"And the boys?"

"Still both dumb asses."

He hid a chuckle by shoving more melon bread into his mouth. This of course followed by more vodka juice and coffee jelly. If he kept this up he'd be fat and drunk in no time; the American dream.

"Are they why you're mad?"

Taichi reached over Jun to grab a piece of melon bread off of Sora's plate, something Yamato noticed she didn't hit him for, and he began to eat since he was too stressed out to do anything else. He was flustered, and he didn't even enjoy its sweet flavor.

"Nah, it's my parents."

No one said anything for a moment since the answer that was given was simple and concise, and after a few seconds Jun and Sora just rested their eyes on Taichi with that type of look on their faces that gave the impression that they wanted him to continue on. Yamato himself had also remained silent, but unlike the two young women he wasn't looking at Taichi. He was still pretending that he wasn't paying attention.

"They want to visit."

It was a short statement, parents wanting to visit their children to check up on them being something that was completely ordinary, but as Yamato swallowed the last of his stolen melon bread he knew that things weren't as simple as they appeared. He decided to speak up since he knew that Taichi wasn't merely embarrassed that his parents were going to visit; he was ashamed at what they, particularly his father, might see.

"I don't see what the problem is."

It was a lie, Yamato knowing exactly why Taichi didn't want his father to see where he lived, and as the two of them met eyes the lie became all the more evident. Yamato was testing him; Taichi just answered honestly.

"I don't want my dad to see that I live in Doyama."

Things got a little awkward with that, and Jun nudged Sora in the arm wanting her to say something since Taichi just looked sheepish, and Yamato just nodded and downed what was left of his vodka juice.

"You could tell them you're making inroads with the gay community."

Sora's expression after her suggestion was just as sheepish as Taichi's was, with a face that had a forced smile on it to boot, and Jun decided to add a proposal of her own since what Sora said didn't seem to have much of an effect. She figured that if not to ease Taichi's apprehension, then to at least join Sora in her failure.

"You could say that there was nowhere else that you could afford."

Shuffling nervously in his chair Taichi did admit that that was one of the better excuses that he could have come up with, but still it wasn't ideal for Susumu to not find out about his sexual preferences. Had he known that his parents were going to want to visit his apartment one day, he would have avoided picking Doyama. Things would have been easier that way; better even.

"I'll look on the internet today. I'll find somewhere that we can pretend that we live at."

Three sets of eyes landed on Yamato when he spoke out of nowhere, two that were surprised and one that was grateful, and he gave a smile at his roommates as to reassure them that he had no problem with trying to fool Susumu about his son.

"Really, man?"

Taichi sounded grateful, and Yamato nodded his head feeling as if he had fulfilled his duty for the day. Reaching over and stealing the last of Sora's melon bread right off her plate, he laughed when she hit him once again. He was surrounded by friends and by someone who was a little more than that. Here he was in Japan, living the American dream.

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><p>Did you guys like this?<p>

No reviews=No updates

Lmao, just kidding I'll update regardless of the reviews I get. I hate it when people hold stories hostage.

P.S. My friend IRL is getting an account on this site. I think that's awesome.


	17. Adventures

Is it just me, or did that seem like a fast update? No matter, here I am, Leon is the name, and I bring the latest chapter. One thing I want to say before you guys start reading is that I still lack a plan. Remember that whole Taichi's parents visiting thing? I have no clue where I'm going with that. That's how this story is written. Maybe in the very beginning I had a thought of where to take things, but honestly I don't plan anything when it comes to this story. All the loose threads seem to just solve themselves.

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon

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><p>The night had always been welcoming to Yamato, had always drawn him more to it then any other time of the day, and here he was smoking at his kitchen table at three in the morning in Japan as if he didn't even need to sleep. He had always enjoyed the solitude of it, the near silence possibly more than anything, and it was when the sun disappeared that Yamato felt lonely in the happy sort of way; felt at peace.<p>

"Yamato? Is that you?"

He didn't answer her at first, that being the usual way he treated similar situations, and instead just enjoyed his cigarette as he waited for Sora to make her way deeper into the kitchen. He let out the smoke, in contrast to the way he kept almost everything else about him inside, and he gave Sora a reassuring smile when she made her way in front of him. The girl looked tired, and it was something that Yamato assumed had to do with her sharing a room with Jun.

"Tired?"

She smiled back at him as she noted the way that Yamato asked and answered something all at the same time in the way that he usually did, and she sat down in the chair beside him having nothing else to do and being unable to go back to sleep. Grabbing one of the mandarin oranges they kept in a bowl on the kitchen table, Sora began peeling it and just watched Yamato from the corner of her eye. There was always something about him that seemed sad, not broody or gloomy, simply sad. It had always bothered Sora; for as long as she had known him anyways.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"Huh?"

"Did you have a bad dream? Is that why you're up?"

Yeah, that's what he thought he had heard. Smiling again, reassuring Sora again, Yamato took a drag of his cigarette and flicked the ash into an ash tray that he had set out just for that very purpose. He thought for a moment on the best way to phrase what he was thinking about, but not coming up with a better way he decided to just say it. He still smiled though; still smoked his cigarette.

"All dreams are bad. Once you look carefully that is."

She frowned at that one, he had assumed as much would happen, and he just waited seeing if she would respond or not. Already knowing that she would.

"You've never had a good dream?"

"I didn't say that."

Her brows furrowed, Yamato's lips quirked, and with the hand he wasn't using he nudged the pack of cigarettes he had lying on the table a little bit towards her to offer her one. She saw what he did and politely gestured that she didn't want one. He turned to cigarettes for much too many things; it was a thought that the both of them shared.

"What do you mean?"

Leaning back and relaxing a bit in his chair, he looked over at the oven before he answered Sora. Since he was already up so early, he figured why not make a big breakfast for everyone? It had nothing to do with anything that was going on, but it was just an idea that popped into his head for a moment.

"Think about it, you're having a great time with great people that you've never met before just enjoying them and being happy, partying and becoming friends, going on adventures and forming lifelong relationships, and then boom you wake up and you never see them again. What's sadder than that?"

Sora frowned again and slacked just ever so slightly somewhat surprised at how Yamato could take something as great as happy dreams and turn it into something depressing, but just before she decided that it wasn't any use trying to argue with him something clicked in her mind and it made her smile.

"What kind of adventures?"

"What?"

"You said in good dreams people go on adventures. What kind would we go on?"

He chuckled, him thinking it was strange at how easy it was for Sora to make him laugh, and he put his cigarette out in his ash tray since all that was left of it was pretty much just the filter. He looked over at her again, and couldn't help but laugh even harder. Truly, this girl was an oddity.

"I don't know, maybe we're pirates or something?"

She seemed to consider them being pirates, but she had a glint in her eye that Yamato could tell what it meant. She was going to shoot it down. Like it has been said in the past, he had a sixth sense when it came to tragedy.

"I can't see us being pirates."

"We have epic battles using giant robots?"

"I don't see it."

"We fight crime Super Sentai status?"

"Eh."

This time it was Yamato who was frowning since all of his quick off the top of his head ideas were shot down. He bit the inside of his cheek and took his time coming up with something better than his other ideas. Though, not being able to think of anything, he just decided to say something ridiculous.

"Monsters?"

"What kind of monsters?"

Huh, she seemed to actually be receptive to his hail Mary idea. This girl was odder than he had originally thought.

"Giant animals. You with a huge ass bird, and Taichi I can see riding a dinosaur."

"How about Jun?"

He paused for a moment before speaking, and hoped that Jun wouldn't find out about what he said. For a girl she could hit really fucking hard.

"Honestly I have no clue. No monster I could ever come up with would be as crazy as her."

The girl laughed just as Yamato had earlier, harder even, and when she calmed down she couldn't help but feel happy. It wasn't often that someone got Yamato talking like this, and Sora honestly never expected that she of all people would be the one to do it.

"And you?"

He didn't have to think about it really, and just gave on honest answer. On a different note though, he figured that since she was already up he might as well invite Sora to make breakfast with him. Who knows? It could be fun.

"I've always liked wolves, so maybe one of those?"

"It's a shame," she smiled at him liking the simplicity of his answer, but Yamato didn't miss how what she said seemed to have an almost bittersweet sound to it. As she spoke he could tell that it was something that she meant from the bottom of her heart, "that adventure sounds like it could have been fun."

"I suppose," she had said what he had thought for a completely different reason, but he gave the girl a smile trying to reassure her just like he had been doing all night. He stood up from the chair that he was sitting at happy that Sora was up at this hour, and even though it was early he held out his hand to her with every intention of inviting her to cook with him, "but I like this adventure too."

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><p>So far I've felt that Sora has more or less been a satellite or ornament character. I guess I wrote this as a way show, "Yeah, she's more than that."<p>

I read who you guys said you wanted to see, and I care very much about your guys' opinions since you're the people I'm writing this for, and I will do my best accommodate you all. I'm glad you guys are liking this, though I do apologize if you're not very fond of the setting. What I've noticed is that in most of the story the characters are sitting or standing in places that don't seem that exciting, and they just stay there and barely talk for the most part. I'm surprised that so many of you have still stuck around. As they say in my native language, gracias mis amigos; thank you my friends.


	18. Shitty

**If you haven't read chapter 17, read that before you come to this one. The only reason I say this is because when I uploaded the last chapter I didn't receive a chapter update like I should have, so I'm not sure to whether or not any of you guys got that update either.**

Anyways, this is another fast update, but that's for a reason. Some of you may remember that all the way in Chapter 1 I stated that this story was inspired by a book, and well in my Creative Writing class that I have every Tuesday and Thursday morning we read an excerpt from that book. I figured why the hell not update based on that fact alone? Go read the book or watch the movie. A Home at the End of the World.

Disclaimer: Do not own anything that has to do with Digimon.

P.S. Yamato/Taichi solo chapter for chapter 19. So, right after this one.

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><p>Yamato stood there quiet in the kitchen trying to seem like he was busy, and he added nothing to the conversation that was going on in the living room all the while he eavesdropped so that he wouldn't miss what was being said. He was fixing up tea for his roommates and his neighbor Koushiro, who had dropped by to deliver some distressing news, and despite the disturbing topic Yamato felt at least fortunate about the fact that he had been in the kitchen when Koushiro had finally said what he had come to say; at least that way he wouldn't have to look at everyone's worried faces.<p>

"When did they find him?"

"This morning. It happened just two blocks away from here, in front the bakery if you know where I'm talking about."

His back was turned to them, but Yamato could still imagine the way that everyone probably reacted. Sora, the one who was getting all the details, most likely had a solemn face accepting but not liking what she heard, Jun was probably slunk back making sure to keep quiet since her boisterous nature was something that wouldn't really be helpful or appreciated at the moment, and Taichi...he was probably more nervous about certain aspects of the life he was living since he now had all the more reason for not wanting to come out. Though that wasn't what was important right now, and Yamato's hands were shaky as he gathered up all the cups for tea like he was supposed to. He felt like a kid for asking himself stupid questions, but why do fucked up things have to happen?

"How," he heard Sora hesitate, but he honestly didn't blame her since what they were talking about was something sensitive. Something that should have never happened in the first place, "how did they kill him?"

He just listened; just knew that Taichi was listening as well. Knew that maybe Osaka, Doyama of all places, wasn't the best place to run off to.

"Apparently they beat up on him for a while. Then they stabbed him to death."

Yamato hadn't known the victim very well, pretty much just knowing that he was a young and flashy gay neighbor of his, as most of them were in this neighborhood, with the surname of Maeda, but regardless of the facts and what happened, he was somewhat starting to hate Koushiro. Koushiro was so direct, mechanical and somewhat detached even, almost more so than Yamato himself in some aspects, and the latter just couldn't shake that feeling that Maeda's murder seemed to come off as more statistical than anything because of it.

"Things like that don't happen here. Not in Japan, not anymore."

"You'd be surprised at how statistics can be skewed. We can't really know the true number of occurrences similar to the one that happened last night."

Pushing the tray of tea cups to the side, Yamato punched the counter causing everyone in the living room to glance at him. Fucking statistics. God damn fucking statistics. He turned and glared at Koushiro who just calmly looked back at him. His hands balled into fists, but then relaxed as Yamato decided that it was best for him to just leave regardless of the fact that it was already starting to get dark, and in spite of the fact that someone who had been walking alone the previous night ended up being killed. There was no use in staying behind and starting something with Koushiro, the guy was a fucking robot.

Instead, he just walked out of his kitchen and towards the entrance of his apartment. He planned to just up and go without saying a word, but stopped when he heard Taichi stand up and speak.

"You have nothing to say?"

He slipped into his shoes that he had set out at his front door and stood there for a moment, still silent as he had been all night, and looked over his shoulder at everyone else, at Koushiro in particular, as he searched his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. His eyes moved from looking at Koushiro and then he just stared at Taichi as Taichi stared right back; his next words held only honesty. What the truth was, at least in Yamato's opinion.

"People are shitty."

He turned away from them, something that seemed to become increasingly easy as time went on, as he grew tired of all the pointless violence that seemed to be everywhere in the world, and he simply walked out the front door hoping to end his night with a walk and a smoke; hoping to end his night with silence. There was no point in talking about sad things, discussing situations that couldn't be helped. It was something that Yamato had always avoided, and it was something that he wouldn't compromise about keeping out of his life. So that night he just walked, right out of his apartment, alone and aimlessly into the night; that night he just walked, surrounded by silence, and with lungs filled with smoke.

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><p>Not sure if you guys have heard or not, it's something that went on recently in Iraq, but some of the more militant citizens there have apparently been forming civilian death squads and targeting both homosexuals and emos who they mistake for homosexuals. Not sure on the specifics, but from what I've seen most reports say that between 50-200 people have been killed. You can find out more using google or youtube if you want. It's pretty fucking depressing.<p>

On a more optimistic note though as to not end on a total downer, I watched a new anime this weekend, one of those short single season ones, called Wandering Son. I usually switch off going from series with giant mechas to slice of life shows, and this is one of the latter which deals with two friends in middle school struggling with their gender identity. The series is about that and other issues such as homosexuality and the consequences that those types of things, though mostly transsexualism, has on a person's relationship with their family and society in general. It's a story that I think is quite well done with actual heart to it concerning its cross dressing whereas elsewhere the same topic would be used as a goofy joke. Definitely worth checking out, and it's already a favorite of mine.

Also, Koushiro is great just not the most emotionally sensitive person out there. I'll have him pop up somewhere down the road. Not sure when though, remember nothing is planned.


	19. Hair

Last chapter was depressing, and writing it put me in a bad mood. So this time around I decided to actually do something different. If you guys read you'll see that it's one that for the most part is very lighthearted. Couldn't bring myself to write anything else.

On a different note, this story has finally reached over 100 reviews. Hell yeah guys! It's an accomplishment, and it makes me feel appreciated. Thanks to all you guys who have reviewed this story, special thanks to the regulars (you know who you are), and I say we go onward. If you notice I changed the description of the story to say that it's a slice of life. With that in mind I say that there's no end in sight.

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon.

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><p>"You should have combed this morning."<p>

As they were sitting in a random coffee shop in one of the straight districts of Osaka, Yamato's eyes glossed over Taichi's ever ridiculous hair somewhat admiring the way it seemed so untamed and primal, but said admiration didn't stop him from knowing that clean neat hair was the best way to make a good impression. It had always been like that way from when they were kids and had little regard to fighting one another, it had been like that when they were teenagers trying to drunkenly sneak back into the Yagami's apartment, and even now as young men trying to live their lives in the way that they wanted, Taichi's hair was as wild as ever. It was something that he liked about Taichi, that this wildness showed that part of him would always be a little boy. He wasn't sure why he liked it, but Yamato figured it had to do with the fact that he himself stopped being a little boy a very long time ago; long before he should have.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

Truthfully? Nothing. In fact, it was one of Taichi's most endearing qualities, and yet he was glad that he had pointed it out to him. Yamato could remember when he was a teenager and one of Susumu's older work associates had stopped by for dinner. Takeru and him had decided to stay back in their room and eat there due to the fact that two blonde haired blue eyed orphan/abandoned kids eating with them would have raised more questions than was necessary in the old guest's eyes, but looking back on it Yamato regretted the fact that Takeru and him had not been there for dinner. Apparently, the old man had found the night at the Yagami's to be one that was mostly delightful, a fact that Yamato himself agreed with, but the one thing that stayed in the young man's mind was what he said about Taichi. Embarrassing. Impolite. Distasteful. Shameful. All in the most roundabout ways possible. All because of that crazy looking hair.

"Nothing's wrong with it," it was an honest thought, Yamato just wanted to do everything he could so that Taichi wouldn't ever have to hear criticisms like that again, and he shot the latter a smile knowing that with him something like that went a long way, "it's just a bit unruly."

"I don't complain about your hair."

The smile went from being one that was only meant in reassurance to actually being genuine, and Yamato idly touched his hair since it was the new topic of the conversation. He didn't care about many things, he pretended to not care about so much more, but his hair was the exception. It had always been that way, every strand styled in the way that he wanted, every hair finding it's perfect place, and Yamato's hand dropped feeling like a silly school girl hoping that Taichi liked the way that his hair currently looked.

"No one complains about my hair."

Taichi frowned, though Yamato could tell that he was trying to hold back a smile of his own, and he ran a hand through his brown hair wondering if he should cut it soon or not. Frankly, he didn't remember the last time that he did so.

"Ishida-san. Yagami-san."

The both of them stood up immediately from where they were seated and returned the bow that the recently arrived man had just given them.

"Kido-san."

Yamato sat down as Taichi pulled out a chair for the man who had introduced himself over the internet as Jou, but the situation became an odd one after short while. Jou didn't sit down.

"Before we get started I have something to ask."

Yamato and Taichi shared glances, but then the former shrugged seeing as something like this was just to be expected from another denizen of the internet. Taichi himself sat back down into his seat not sure of what else he could do.

"Are you guys, uhm this is going to sound very awkward," the man was flustered, a trait that Yamato didn't really see in much older people these days, but he softened his critical look as a show of good faith to Kido-san, "but are you guys gay?"

His features immediately hardened. He noticed the way that some people at neighboring tables glanced over when they heard what Jou said. Yamato himself didn't really care about any possible homophobes that overheard, fuck those people, but he could tell by the way that Taichi was slinking back in his chair that it wasn't something that he appreciated being said out loud in public.

"Is that a problem?"

Jou seemed to immediately realize that what he said had been misconstrued and he bowed again since he didn't mean to offend anyone.

"Not with me, I'm young and with it, I don't have any problems with what you guys do, but well I have neighbors..."

As Jou trailed off, both of the other young men knew where he was coming from. Yamato since he could understand the pressures that society could put on a person. Taichi since he himself, unfortunate as it was, felt that same shame sometimes.

"There's two other women involved. For the purpose of us using your home, they're our girlfriends."

His head lifted from his apologetic bow, and Jou then sat in the chair that had been offered to him earlier hoping that the rest of the conversation would go more smoothly.

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression."

"No worries, we understand."

Things quieted down from there, eavesdroppers from other tables going about their own business again, but things became weird again after Yamato couldn't help but stare at Jou.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression."

"Yeah?"

Pausing, he tried to think of a less creepy way to say it. He couldn't.

"Your hair is fantastic."

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><p>I'm glad I threw in some Jou love. He gets so little you know? Oh, I haven't forgot about the other characters you guys wanted to see. Just give me some time and chapters to fit them in naturally.<p>

Anyways let's get 100 more reviews by the next chapter!

Just kidding, that's impossible.

P.S. You folks are awesome, you make me want to keep writing.


	20. Silence

20th update for this story, and I gotta say that I never thought that I would get 20 chapters in for this. When I first started writing I figured I'd go maybe 10 chapters, and 20 tops only if I went for a crazy amount, but eh look where we are. I hope it doesn't feel like this story is dragging on, you know since pretty much nothing happens, and yeah I appreciate you guys for being here and reading.

About the nothing happening though...I guess that's the point of this story maybe? It's just them living their lives. When it comes down to it, I'm glad that I didn't go any other direction with it.

Disclaimer: Don't own digimon. I know that this type of story is one that they would never touch or even get near to. I guess that's why fan fiction exists.

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><p>"What's it like to be with a woman?"<p>

He had almost fallen asleep, but when he heard Taichi speak out of nowhere, Yamato lazily rolled over in their bed to look at him. It was an odd question, a random one at that, and as he stared at the wild-haired young man beside him, he knew that it was something that was bothering him.

Truthfully, sex with a woman had its differences when compared to being intimate with a man, but as Yamato looked on at Taichi he had a small feeling that this was something about more than just sex, lovemaking, or downright fucking. It was a spark in his eye, something Yamato almost missed in the darkness of their room, but what Taichi was asking had nothing to do with physicality. Yamato could see that clearly; no, he was asking about something else. He was asking about love.

"It's," his eyelids shut for a moment what with him being extremely tired, but he forced himself himself awake knowing that this was important. He wasn't sure with how to go about it since he knew that Taichi struggled with who he was on a regular basis, and if there was one thing that Yamato would never want to do, it would be to make that struggle any more difficult than it had to be, "different than being with a man. Why?"

In the darkness of their room, in the darkness of the Japan night, he could that struggle going on in Taichi's eyes. Yamato could see that there was a part of him that just wanted to be happy, even if that meant being in a relationship that society wouldn't approve of, and yet he could also see that a part of him wanted to be accepted; to be normal. Maybe it was just his imagination, he was tired after all, but deep down Yamato knew the facts. There were things that he could see raging in Taichi's eyes, dreams and aspirations, that he knew that were they to remain together, that Taichi would never have. A blood child, a proper family, a country that would accept him; if the two of them kept going down the same road that they were on, then Taichi would never know what these things were.

"I've always wondered."

Despite them being in the dark, despite Yamato wanting to shudder at those words, he stayed quiet all the while hiding what he truly thought. Was this the night he had hoped would never come? Was this how Taichi would tell him that what they had, whatever the fuck it was, was over?

"Is it something that you want to try?"

There was silence in the room, and both men just stared at each other, regardless of the fact that they couldn't really see anything. For Yamato at least it wasn't about seeing Taichi; just knowing that he was there was enough.

"No."

It was what he wanted to hear, but not how he wanted to hear it. What Yamato heard was quiet, a whimper almost, as if that wasn't the answer that Taichi wanted to say. Even though he would never admit it Yamato would have preferred to hear a happy no, just so that he would know that Taichi still didn't regret what he had started with him.

"You sound disappointed."

The silence was all the more noticeable without anything for Yamato to set his eyes on. It seemed so permanent, and yet he knew that with one random shout that the silence would no longer exist. It was a thought that he had, but silence reminded him of love.

"Why don't I want that?"

He wondered, how many other people asked themselves that same question? How many people hated themselves for not being able to want what they were supposed to?

"I don't know."

Silence. It was something that he usually wanted, something that would have normally seemed natural to him, but this silence was different. To him this silence seemed like a wall between him and Taichi. Something that the dark seem blacker than it really was.

"Yamato?"

"Yeah?"

He had no idea what Taichi wanted to say to him, and yet he had terrible feeling inside him. Maybe it was on account of all the terrible things that he had been thinking? Or maybe this was it? Maybe Taichi was finally done?

"I love you."

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><p>I feel like it's a short chapter don't you? Yeah, I think so. Well it was a fast update so I say that makes up for it a little bit don't you think?<p>

Anyways I'm tired, so I'm just going to upload this and go to sleep.

Oh, and if any of you have ever heard of Cracked the website, I'm in the middle of writing an article for it so hell yeah people.


	21. Mom

Hello people, it's me Leon again. I've been in the mood to write something sad, though that mood didn't drip into this chapter. At least no more than it should have. I think that this particular update is one of my more favorite that I've written for this story, and I hope that you can see why. A few weeks ago someone asked me when I planned on finishing the story, and I'm not sure. It could be finished at any moment, at any update, all without notice. I hope that if that is indeed the case that you guys don't get mad with me.

I was asked if I could do a sibling chapter, and I'm not sure if I touched on that, but I can do one when it can fit appropriately. Same with the chapter about Yamato and Taichi arguing about nothing in particular.

Sorry for the wait, I feel like it's taken me a long time to update.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

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><p>The plan, to put it in a way that Yamato never would, had gone swimmingly. Jou had been given his money as was per his agreement with Yamato, the Yagami family and company had been picked up and brought to the home that supposedly belonged to Taichi and the rest of them, Daisuke and Takeru had kept their mouths shut not revealing that this wasn't the place where they actually lived, and<p>

they had just finished the dinner that was held in celebration of how well everyone's lives had been trudging along. Now Yamato was out on Jou's balcony, the only place he felt comfortable in the somewhat stranger's home, and just smoked one of his many cigarettes, not staring out at the cityscape of this unfamiliar part of Osaka.

"Yamato?"

When he heard his name he stood up from the railing, and turned to who had spoken. Usually he would ignore and pretend not to hear a person when they interrupted him in his alone time, but as a sign of respect he couldn't do this to the woman who was now in his presence. He stood there and gave Yuuko a smile when he saw her close the sliding door behind her. At the same time he considered tossing his cigarette.

"Yes, Yagami-san?"

"Can we talk?"

He nodded and watched as the woman got closer to him and relax on the railing that he had just gotten up from. Following her lead, he went back to his original position as well. He said nothing, but wondered what this was all about.

"What is this business with Sora?"

Ah, now he knew what this was about. Truthfully, Yamato had been waiting for Yuuko to bring up the situation with Sora and ask him about it for a while now, and to be honest he was surprised that it had taken this long of a time for that to happen. He considered lying to her and telling her that Taichi had miraculously become straight even though that's not how things actually work, but he decided against it not really feeling right in lying to the woman when Susumu wasn't around.

"Taichi," he paused not really sure how to say what he wanted to. Yuuko knew what Taichi was, and also knew of his shame, but it was still strange for Yamato to talk about with her, "he struggles with things. I just figured he could use a little less pressure."

Yuuko sighed, and wondered when something as simple as love had gotten so complicated. It was something that had never been easy, but when she was a young it was just boy meets girl, dates girl, marries girl, and starts a family with girl. In her day for the most part people didn't even consider the possibility of boy meets boy; the possibility of boy loves boy.

"Did he put you up to this?"

"It was my idea. He didn't even know about it until I announced it."

She felt like smiling for a moment, but didn't seeing as what Yamato had done was something that was more bittersweet than anything. He had always been a lovely boy, even more so when she had taken him and Takeru in as surrogate children, and she was at least glad that Yamato was now watching out for her son in the same caring way that she had watched out for him. She looked at him, and even though by his expression she could nothing about how he felt, she knew that this was hard on him. He wasn't her son by blood, but she still had that mother's instinct when it came to him.

"This is because of Susumu, right?"

"Yeah."

The light on his cigarette was dim, and deciding that Yuuko wasn't going to say anything about it, Yamato took a drag and released the smoke into the night air. Were the motives behind his actions really that obvious? He thought on that, and began to smoke again not really wanting to answer the question himself. The flame on his cigarette was bursting with life.

"How long have you known us, Yamato?"

How long hadn't he known them? He glanced over at Yuuko and hated the distressed look that he saw on her face. Honestly, it was harder to remember a time when he hadn't known the Yagami family rather than the time that he did. Even before he had lived with them they were a part of his life, and himself a part of theirs. Life was strange like that.

"Since I was a kid."

"Then you should know that we're good people, and good people are always there for their families no matter what. I know that Susumu won't be happy with what Taichi is struggling with, but he'll love him all the same."

He knew that it wasn't intentional on her part, or at least he didn't think so, but Yuuko had just reminded him of Natsuko. Good people are there for their families no matter what. Natsuko had left.

"I know that, it's Taichi that won't believe me."

She was glad to hear that Yamato at least knew about how she and Susumu would treat the subject of Taichi coming out, but the fact that her own biological son doubted them was a bit saddening to hear. Didn't he know that his parents loved him?

"He's always been stubborn like that. Once he gets something in his head, there's no use in ever telling him otherwise."

Oddly, Yamato chuckled at that, and probably odder than that, Yuuko laughed along with him. So that's what they did, they laughed and laughed despite the fact that they actually didn't have anything to laugh about.

"You know, sometimes I wish that I had a mom like you."

He had said it to make her happy, and knew that this was accomplished when he saw her smile that same type of grin that he had seen plastered on Taichi's face so many times before. He returned it as she reached over and grabbed the cigarette from his hand only to just toss it off the balcony. He looked at her, but couldn't say that he recognized that tender look on her face as she began to fiddle with his hair.

"You do."

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><p>Let me know what you guys think. I noticed that they made the review bar a purplish blue so that it's easier for people to notice. Weird.<p>

I hope you like this chapter as much as I did.


	22. Failure

So Leon here with another short chapter I think. Or, I at least feel that it was short to me, you know? In any case I know I should probably give longer chapters, but since this one is short I'll try to have a second update later this week, no promises though. I almost ended the story here, but decided at the last minute to continue on...you're welcome?

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>He was watching from the entrance of the hallway of Jou's apartment room, being cautious not to interrupt the carefree time that was going on in the living room, and instead Yamato just watched what everyone else was doing. Taichi was sitting on the couch chatting with his parents, most likely discussing about what he planned to do with his life since he had forgone college and had yet to get a stable job, Sora was sitting right beside him and was passing the time by braiding Hikari's short brown hair, Jun was at the other end of the couch with her legs hanging off and kicking while she watched the spectacle in front of her, and Daisuke and Takeru just fooled around and laughed as they wrestled each other in front of the TV. He didn't know what to think about it, but Daisuke and Takeru reminded him so much of his own past with Taichi.<p>

It was uncanny really, it was like staring at younger less attractive versions of Taichi and himself, well in his own biased opinion anyways. Whether they were doing something extremely stupid or just lounging around, Yamato couldn't help but be reminded of everything he had already gone through. For the most part the younger ones lacked the hard times though, something he was proud that he had taken the brunt of so that Takeru wouldn't have to, but he couldn't help but still see it. As they rolled around and wrestled, he couldn't help but feel that it was an inevitable future.

"Go Takeru!"

Unsurprisingly, Hikari cheered on for his little brother. He looked at the young girl, the vibrant and in love Yagami, and hoped that his brother wouldn't end up hurting her in the future since history has a tendency to repeat itself. He wondered about things sometimes, were his thoughts on Takeru and Daisuke correct? Was Hikari the Jun of their group? Would Hikari feel that same heartbreak some day? It made him frown for a moment. It wasn't something he liked to think about.

"Kick his ass Daisuke!"

Deciding that he would try to just concentrate on the moment, try to ignore the future and the past, Yamato began to smile as he watched Daisuke get Takeru into a choke hold. Was it Jun's sudden and surprising cheer that was able to give her brother an edge in his impromptu wrestling match? If he had to put money on it, Yamato would sure as shit bet that Jun had something to do with it.

He watched his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his dead child, and just pondered on her not really sure why he was doing that; in the back of his mind knowing that he had failed in trying to ignore the past. She had always been there for him ever since they were kids, despite the fact that she had no actual reason for that to be true. She had been there whenever his dad had hit him just a little too hard, she had been there whenever he just needed someone to talk because Takeru was too young and he didn't even have a mother to go home to, she had been there losing her virginity to him as he was to her one random night in Japan at three in the morning, and she had even stayed when he had left her for Taichi. Now here she was years after the fact still sticking around him, and there was nothing that made him feel more guilty.

"Ah!"

The thoughts were pushed out of his mind however, when he heard a random scream go through the air. In a flash Taichi randomly jumped on top of the two wrestling teenagers in the middle of the living room, and like nothing he began owning them both. Taichi's war scream was ridiculous in that idiotically adorable sort of way, and Yamato failed miserably when he tried to hold back his smile.

He might not have had the best life, the easiest past, but moments like this were what made his life worthwhile. He had failed at things, had things that he rightfully felt guilty for, but as he stood there in some random apartment building in the middle of Japan, he knew that things had gone exactly as they should have. These people were his family.

"Of course you would."

Taichi looked up at him, and they just stared at each other with the former not seeming to realize that there were other people in the room with them. Yamato didn't lose sight of their companions however, this being something that would never happen, and he wondered whether or not Susumu could tell what was going on. Taichi was looking at him tenderly, more so than Yamato could ever recall, and to be honest he didn't really know how to respond to that.

There was a look he saw in Taichi's eyes, a familiar but more intense one that he had seen countless times in his life already, countless times this very night mostly when no one else was looking, and he didn't even have enough time to prepare for what happened next. Taichi tackled him, and they began to wrestle on the ground in the same way that Takeru and Daisuke had just been doing. Neither could contain their laughter.

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><p>I hope this gets to you...<p> 


	23. Fate

Hey, it's Leon, and I'm back. It's really late right now, four in the morning, but I couldn't sleep. I just sat here with my laptop open, and decided to write another chapter to what I think is my favorite story that I myself have written. I love you guys, and well here is how I express that love.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>"I have never seen so many penises in my entire life."<p>

Yamato said nothing to his little brother's statement, and simply just looked around awkwardly since he honestly would have preferred to be in any other situation at the moment. Susumu and Yuuko had decided to take a day to be tourists around Osaka, and Yamato and company thought it would be a good chance for their siblings to check out their real apartment in Doyama. This proved to be a mistake, because now instead of checking out the apartment as was the original goal, they were instead in his and Taichi's room checking out ten boxes marked 'junk' that were filled with piles upon piles of pornography that was of the homosexual variety.

The boxes of adult paraphernalia were strewn all over the floor in front of the closet, and had spilled there when Daisuke had decided to go looking for some clothing to borrow. That was a long forgotten thought though, and now the only thing on anyone's mind was how could one person need so much of this? The sheer quantity of it was astounding.

"This is disgusting," Hikari's face was scrunched up in distaste as she looked at all the: dvds, magazines, yaoi mangas, and other such things that had spilled all over the floor. She meant to stop with that statement, but added more to what she said when she noticed the look that Sora was giving her, "not because it's gay or anything, just well it belongs to my brother. I don't want to think about him doing anything like that."

"These are all blonde guys."

Daisuke's voice was quiet, something strange for the teenager, and it was something that made Yamato instantly curious. He looked over at the kid, and noticed something that he was pretty sure that Hikari and Takeru had missed. Daisuke was holding onto a magazine for longer than was necessary, just looking at it longer than he should have.

This was just another moment that simply added to his already substantial suspicion concerning the boy's sexuality, and Yamato was starting to wonder if he should confront Daisuke about it or not. Not interrogate the boy or anything of that nature, something like that he figured might have the chance to confuse Daisuke even more about who he was, but just to tell him that he was there for him. To let him know that there was nothing to be ashamed about; even if the entire world said otherwise.

His ex-girlfriend's brother still studying the magazine, eyes taking everything in, and Yamato couldn't help but see a sort of resemblance to Taichi. Not because of what was in those boxes, or any physical appearance, but simply because of how he was reacting to what was before him. Yamato saw reluctance, he saw someone that didn't want to be who they were becoming, and he saw someone that needed to know that he was loved no matter what. Taichi had fought, hell sometimes it felt like he was still fighting, but Yamato didn't want the same for Daisuke. There is nothing worse than when a person doesn't embrace their dreams; doesn't embrace who they were meant to be.

Fate. It's a word that Yamato isn't sure how he feels about, and as he stared at the teenagers in his room, as he felt Sora beside him, as he thought of Jun and Taichi, his true companions, it was a word that he was starting to feel more and more fond about everyday. If there wasn't something out there watching out for him, then how had things turned out this way? There were bumps along the way, both literally and otherwise, but there were also good times as well. He had people who loved him, who cared about him, people that would never abandon him; he had Taichi.

"I'm gonna check on lunch."

He said it knowing that no one other than Sora was going to notice, and as he left he gave her a simple nod. He wasn't really going to check on lunch or anything like that, he just felt the need to leave. Felt that urge to check on something else that was a bit more dear to him than just food. Maybe not as tasty, but a hell of a lot more alluring.

It was a bit of a mood whiplash, he acknowledged this as he came within view of Jun and Taichi cooking in the kitchen, but somehow he felt that it fit alongside his thoughts on Daisuke. The boy was struggling with himself in the same way that Taichi still did, and if Yamato had his way then Daisuke would go down a different path. As Sora once told him, love is love, and Yamato had never once been ashamed, not even for a moment, about who he loved and where his love took him.

Keeping his baby brother as close and as safe as he could, watching his mother leave him knowing full well that he would never see her again, rolling around in a tangled naked sweat under his sheets with Jun all the while forgetting the world around them, or simply where he was now living day to day with Taichi being foremost in his heart. None of it was anything that he ever questioned or would ever change, and that was the type of life he wanted for Daisuke. His soul was still a tortured one, as was Taichi's for different reasons, but Daisuke had a shot at a life with a happy one instead. If Yamato could change fate, or ensure it, then that life was the one that Daisuke was going to live.

"Are you going to just stand there or actually help out?"

Yamato smiled, partially because of Taichi's agitation and the fact that Jun began to sing loudly and rather badly all of a sudden, but he said nothing as he made his way into the kitchen to wash his hands and get to cooking. He never understood the old saying that fate was a fickle bitch. As he listened to Jun's off-tone singing, as he stood beside Taichi cutting vegetables, he knew that in the end, or as of now at least, that fate had been good to him.

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><p>I think this is actually a good ending. I really considered finishing the story right here, but well there are a few things that need clearing up before I can do that. Like Susumu, and Natsuko for example. Susumu is close though. I can feel it. With me though, I don't want to force anything. I want this story to go naturally if you guys get what I mean.<p>

Also, I kind of want to write another similar slice of life story. Just have no idea what about yet. Maybe something set in the same universe as this? Maybe something in a completely different fandom? Any suggestions would be good to see if I can get any creative juices flowing.


	24. Darkness

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've last updated. To be honest, I've been in a writing slump, but I decided to change all that today. Felt bad about leaving my readers, you guys, hanging for so long. Also, don't let the title of the chapter, "darkness", scare you. This chapter really shouldn't be titled that.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. At all.

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><p>Yamato was out of breath. There were few things that could make him venture out into the daytime, the stranger in the sea of strangers called Japan being more of a night child than anything, but as he was running behind Susumu and Taichi on a joggers path near the apartment that belonged to Jou, as he straggled behind them, sunlight shone bright on his face. The brightness and lack of air simply worked as a reminder to him as to why he preferred the night.<p>

He had nothing against the sun, against the light that he had never really payed much attention to anyways, but Yamato always found that he had a certain affinity when it came to the darkness that covered Japan in the paradoxically quietly loud hours that came after midnight. It was in that darkness that he had fallen in love, first with Jun and then with Taichi, it was in that darkness that he could remember Hiroaki stroking his hair even though it was only because his father thought he was asleep, it was in that darkness that he smoked his cigarettes and drank his vodka back in the way when days of being a child with the soul of an old man, and it was in that darkness that Yamato spent his life. Though, he never could figure out if it was the darkness that searched after him, that followed him everywhere he went, or if it was the other way around.

"Dude, hurry up!"

He didn't look up when he heard Taichi's voice, but that was only because he was facing the ground with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Sex wasn't this tiring, or that sweaty, and Yamato had no idea what in the world compelled anybody to become a professional runner. It took some effort, but he responded in between gasping for air.

"I can't go any further."

"Are you serious?"

Taichi was skeptical. Sure, Yamato wasn't the most athletic type since he had never once showed any interest in sports whether it was playing them or otherwise, but running was something that was pretty universal. His eyebrow was raised, and he had to hold back a laugh as he stared at the usually quiet and calculating blonde in front of him.

"I'm gonna die."

This time Taichi couldn't hold in anything as he burst out laughing. Running was the type of thing was something that he had done at least every other day when he lived back in Odaiba, and he had first started with that routine back in high school. Now here Yamato was, a grown man, and he couldn't keep up with him.

"This is barely anything."

"Just go on without me. I'll see you guys back at Jou's."

Yamato hoped that Taichi would nod and accept and just continue the run without him, but he wasn't really sure about the realism behind that dream. Especially since it wasn't just Taichi he was running with, and Susumu wouldn't leave him off the hook that easily.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Frowning for a second, Taichi thought about what to say. Yamato used to be able to endure that much running a few years ago, and there shouldn't have been a reason as to why the case was now otherwise. He thought some more, letting Yamato get more relaxed in between all that time, and chuckled when a flash of realization finally hit him.

"This is why you should stop smoking."

Yamato said nothing, and just kept staring at the ground as he breathed in and out. He only looked up when he heard someone run up to them. Susumu was chipper as ever.

"What's the hold up? I'm more than twice your guys' age! You should be able to keep up with me."

"I'm done," he hadn't been this tired in years. Yamato's sides hurt, and he just wanted to go home already, "I can't go any further."

"We haven't even finished with half of our warm up yet. Come on Yama-chan, don't be such a woman."

Yamato glared at Susumu when he heard the little nickname. Sure, Jun or Taichi had used it on him in the past, mostly for teasing or jest, but he still didn't like to hear it. Not from anyone.

"Watch it, old man."

Taichi watched as Yamato's face slowly transitioned from angry to tired once more, and glanced over at his dad since he didn't think that the blonde could handle going all out again so soon.

"You can run up ahead. We'll catch up."

"We're going to run ten miles after this warm up. Nothing like some good exercise for father-son bonding."

As Yamato saw it, this was his chance to get out of something that he didn't really want to be doing in the first place. He hated running, always preferring a slow pace with a cigarette in hand instead. This was his chance to leave the daytime, the sunlight, and head back towards the familiar comfortable darkness once more.

"Then I'll leave you and Taichi alone. I'll catch a bus home."

Susumu's only response was a grin.

"I said father-son bonding. That means you too, Yama-chan."

"Stop calling me that."

"I'll stop when you stop acting like a woman. I'm beginning to seriously think that you're starting to like the boys, Yamato."

Susumu just laughed and began to run again, positive of the fact that the two young men would soon follow, and he had no idea how much truth was hidden in his joke. It was something that both Yamato and Taichi would think about later, something they would discuss in the middle of the night, in that darkness where they could share anything with each other, but now was not the time. The sun was shining too bright.

"So," Taichi trailed off since he didn't really know how to digest what his father said, and gave a fake smile to Yamato who barely began to stand up straight again. If nothing else, he would at least try to force a joke, "Yama-chan?"

"If you start calling me that again, I'll kill you."

"Only if you can catch me, Yama-chan."

Like Susumu, Taichi began to run off, and Yamato just stared in the direction that the Yagamis had headed. After a moment of thought, and a few more to catch his breath, Yamato smiled all the while deciding that he would forget about Susumu's joke until a more serious time, and instead gave chase after Taichi. He was gasping for air the entire time, unknowingly running away from the darkness, and thought that perhaps the daytime and sunlight wasn't so bad after all.

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><p>Should I change the story image to something else? I just found that cigarette picture online, and to be honest I'm not sure if I should keep it or not. I can't draw at all, and I'm too broke to afford to commission a picture to be done. If you guys find a picture you think would be perfect for this story, or better at least, then just let me know as long as I'm allowed to use it.<p>

You can leave me some love if you want and let me know what you think, it's something that is always appreciated, or you don't have to if you don't want to. I get it, some people don't like reviewing or don't have the time. Others just wait until the story is complete until they say something. Either way I still love all of your faces.


	25. Manhood

Hey guys, it's Leon, and I got the idea to write this chapter earlier today when I heard that Anderson Cooper finally came out of the closet. Just by that statement alone you should be able to figure out what exactly this chapter is about, and well, I hope I did good. I myself am not gay, and I don't want to offend any gay people that think that I'm tackling subjects/issues or anything like that in the wrong way. So far, I've tried to be as realistic about relationships as possible.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>"I'm gonna tell him."<p>

It was a phrase that he had spent years looking forward to, a phrase that he wasn't sure if he would ever really hear, and yet, to Yamato there was a sort of bittersweet feeling to it; a sort of dread in the air. They were sitting in an Osaka bar that they had stumbled upon, just a place that he and Taichi had found in the middle of the night after their family, Sora and Jun being counted within those ranks as well, had fallen sleep.

"Susumu?"

They were drinking Chinese beer out of bottles, golden colored with a bitter aftertaste of noble hops, and Yamato just kept staring downward at the bottle in his hand, ignoring the ones that they had already drank that night, not having anywhere else that he could turn his head. He already knew that Taichi was talking about Susumu, there was nobody else that it could be, and he raised his Chinese alcohol to his lips as he considered the possible outcomes of what Taichi was proposing to do.

"Yeah, before he and my mom leave tomorrow."

Beer, really alcohol in general, was never something that Yamato had ever sought out for himself; this he acknowledged as he took his sip and set his bottle back down on the table that he and Taichi were sitting at. He had no problem drinking it, always doing so when Taichi handed him a beer or Jun served him some vodka, but he had always preferred cigarettes to the other vices of the world. It was a silly thought that he sometimes had, a thought shared by most of his generation, but there was something romantic about smoking tobacco.

"You don't have to."

"Yes I do."

"Don't be stupid."

Taichi could be such an idiot sometimes, even when he was trying to do the right thing. Yamato knew that the young man's heart was in the right place, but he had chosen very bad timing to come out of the closet, if that was really what he wanted to do.

"Don't call me stupid, jackass."

"I'll call you stupid when you're being stupid. This was a good visit, and it's better if you don't make it awkward when it doesn't have to be."

He wasn't sure if he was being a bit too harsh or not, though Yamato thought that that was most likely the case since he was never really one that cared all that much for social etiquette, and he looked up from his bottle to Taichi to see how he was taking it. What he saw was maybe a bit of confusion, with a dash of anger and hurt. Just a dash.

"Isn't this what you wanted? For me to tell him."

"On your terms, not mine."

Coming out wasn't some unimportant event like going out for some coffee or making a stop by a book store, but a time where someone was supposed to finally be comfortable in embracing what and who they were. It was something that Yamato wanted for Taichi, something he actually hoped for in those rare times that he would let himself become sentimental, though he knew that his friend and lover wasn't ready for it. He stared Taichi straight in the face, wishing that the brunette wasn't such a dumbass, and at first he wasn't sure how to react to Taichi's convicted defiance.

"I'm going to tell him."

Yamato was quiet at first, and remained so while he thought some things over. Could Taichi really be this serious and committed? Taichi had always been ashamed of his attraction to other men, it was something that Yamato knew that he still resented himself over, and this was what made the latter so pensive about the issue at hand. He didn't want Taichi to do anything that would grow to regret.

"Don't be an idiot. You're always making split second decisions, and it always blows up in your face. Except this time the decision that you're making is life changing, and not just ordering something off a menu that you've never had before."

"I'm a man. I live my life the way that I want to."

A man chooses how to live, this was a truth that Yamato would never dispute, but a man also has to know when said living would come into conflict with other people.

"And what about your parents or Hikari? Tell Susumu later when you've had time to think everything over, not at the end of a family trip. Don't be such an inconsiderate moron."

"Inconsiderate? You're the one who's rude to everyone you meet. I'm doing this all for your benefit, asshole. At least I'm trying here."

"Just because I don't pretend to be buddy buddy with strangers doesn't mean that I'm rude, and I try every fucking day with you, okay? Convincing Susumu about you and Sora, getting this apartment, everything I've done in the past just so daddy doesn't know you're gay. I'm the one whose always tried, and you're just barely now giving a shit."

"Trouble in paradise?"

In the midst of the argument and awkwardness, neither had noticed that a trio of three men, maybe a few years older then them, had walked up to their table. Yamato turned his attention on them, as did Taichi, surprised that someone had actually confronted them with a cliché that old. He narrowed his eyes at them, particularly at the largest one who spoke, and he was no mood to deal with random fuckwads who had been eavesdropping on his rather personal conversation with Taichi.

"Excuse me?"

The large man was grinning wildly, obviously having a belly full of booze, and Yamato just kept on glaring at him. His neighbor Maeda had died at the hands of bigots, and it wasn't something that he was going to let happen to himself. He waited for a response to his question though, and knew that he was going to have trouble when he heard the large man's response.

"You know, it's not every day we see fruity boys like you in this bar. How bout we find a nice dark corner, and you can show me how much of a girl you really are?"

Taichi's reaction was to immediately and without hesitation, stand up.

"Fuck you."

"Hey, it seems like this one has a bit of fight in him, eh?" the large drunk man simply laughed at Taichi's cursing at him, as he joked with his friends,"At least we know who the man in the relationship is."

"We're both men."

When Yamato had spoken, both Taichi and the large man had looked over at him. He was still sitting down and even though it was dark in the Osaka bar that they were in, he could still see what both Taichi and the large man were thinking. Taichi couldn't believe that he was letting some asshole disrespect them like that, and the large man was simply amused at the way that the little gay boy thought that he was somehow more than a woman.

Yamato took a swig of his golden colored beer, a swig that tasted more delicious than any cigarette could have at that moment, and looked up at the bigot large man to give him a wink and a smile. For a second he gripped on tight to his Chinese beer, and a few moments later he threw the bottle as hard as he could. The air became filled with shattered glass, alcohol, and the blood of a passed out fucking asshole.

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><p>That last part felt very rewarding. In any case, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Let me know what you think.<p> 


	26. Scared

***Sorry, I don't know what happened with the update. i checked on it this morning and there was nothing, so I decided to just reupload it again. Sorry for any inconveniece. **

Hey guys, it's Leon. It's been a while since I last mentioned Hiroaki hasn't it? I feel bad since I love the character, he's awesome in my opinion, but for the purposes of this story I made him different than his show counterpart. Still love the guy though.

On a different note, since I've last updated there have been two famous people who have come out of the closet. First is big time journalist/TV personality, Anderson Cooper. Second is a rapper named Frank Ocean. Kudos to both these guys, but especially Ocean since he is part of a subculture that has historically had a lot of animosity with homosexuality and related issues. That's what I call bravery.

Disclaimer: Do not own Digimon.

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><p>"You two are idiots! Dumbasses! Idiots! Idiots! Jackass idiots!"<p>

It was cold out in Japan that night, out in that part of Osaka that Yamato admittedly knew very little about, and he was sitting down on the ground next to Taichi on the outside of Jou's apartment, leaning on a wall as Jun angrily paced in front of them. She wasn't usually the type to get very angry at anything, but he had learned from experience that a pissed off Jun was a dangerous Jun. He kept quiet, and only wished that Taichi had the sense to follow his lead.

"Hey Yamato, I think Jun's mad at us."

Yamato said nothing in response, he was smarter than that, and simply watched as Jun stopped her pacing to give Taichi a death glare.

"Don't get smart with me, or I'll cut off your balls."

"Uhm-"

Jun cut him off when he spoke, but to be honest that was probably for the better. Taichi liked his balls being exactly where they were, and he didn't really have any way to respond to her threat. Besides, he knew that Jun wasn't above actually hurting people when she was mad as hell.

"What the fuck were you guys thinking?"

Yamato looked up at her, remaining silent all the while, and thought that maybe they shouldn't have told her about the night that they had. True, the bruises on his face would have been an easy indication that something had gone down earlier, but he could have easily chalked that up to something else. He didn't like lying to Jun, Yamato honestly not remembering the last time he had done so, but he preferred doing that over seeing her being pissed off at the two of them. Yamato watched her angry face, feeling a bit guilty at having been the cause of that anger, and he just listened as Taichi timidly responded their lifelong comrade in arms, their shared manic pixie dream girl.

"We weren't thinking?"

"That's right, you weren't thinking. I expect this stupidity out of Takeru and my dumbass little brother, but not you two. Who the hell do you guys think you are? This isn't some kind of video game, or computer game, or whatever the fuck game, where life doesn't have any consequences. When are you guys going to grow the fuck up? You can't just fight random people in the street."

This was so much more different than the happy-go-lucky Jun that he knew, and he hated seeing her be this way. Jun was a blissful soul that had always been stranger than most, this being one of the reasons that they had clicked so fast in Odaiba that whole lifetime ago, and there was nothing that Yamato wanted more at that moment than to keep that soul just as blissful, and just as strange.

"We weren't fighting in the street. We were in a bar."

That particular fact wasn't that much consolation, but Yamato figured that bar fighting sounded at least a little better than street fighting. It might have too, until Taichi decided to add a comment of his own.

"And it was less of a fight, and more us beating the shit out of them."

Taichi held up out a fist to him, Yamato assuming that this meant he wanted a fist bump, and he reluctantly didn't leave the former hanging. He kept his head down since he didn't want to see Jun's face, especially her reaction to the ridiculous guy ritual he had just given into.

"You had no idea who those people were. They could have had knives or guns or something."

"They didn't."

"Those shitheads were already messing with you two, what if they wanted to do more than just say their stupid homophobic crap? What if they wanted to actually hurt you guys?"

He looked back up at her, and saw a sort of anxiousness in Jun's pained face. She was pissed, Yamato had no doubt of that, but she was also scared. He already felt like a dick, but this made it all the more worse. He stood up, and hoped that him taking charge would maybe ease the thousands of thoughts that he assumed were rushing through Jun's mind. She had already seen how bad it could be whenever he got badly hurt; Hiroaki had made sure of that.

"It was us that ended up hurting them."

Jun cupped Yamato's face, and gave him the death glare that she had already shot Taichi's way.

"Then what's this?"

He didn't have to ask to know that she was referring to his banged up face. Oddly enough, though not that oddly once he thought about it, he thought of his father. The man had been dead for a very a long time already, and Yamato hoped that wherever he was, that Hiroaki was doing okay. He wasn't sure if he believed in a Heaven or a Hell, in a God or a Buddha, but some people deserved an afterlife; especially the ones who never really got a chance to live.

Truthfully, his asshole father wasn't one of the ones that Yamato thought actually deserved a better life after death, but there were a handful of people that he thought about. The dead Maeda, his stereotypically flashy gay neighbor that he had barely known was the first to come to mind. He also thought of the dead son that he shared with Jun, but it was with that that he realized that he had let his mind wander and take him to dark places again. He watched as she stared at him with apprehensive eyes, and he smiled at her so that she wouldn't be as scared as she was.

"It's nothing to worry about. This wouldn't be the first bruised face I've had."

"You're so stupid."

"Yeah, I know."

Yamato grabbed Jun's arm, and pushed it away from his face. She was about to protest, but stopped when he pulled her into a hug. It was nice to hold Jun again, an odd thing to do in these days where the person who he mostly held was Taichi, and he honestly felt that it had been too long since he had done so. He knew that it was probably awkward for Taichi who was watching, but he didn't really care once he heard Jun whisper something in his ear.

"Don't scare me like that again, Yamato."

He knew that it went without saying that he would end up letting her down again, but it was something that Yamato didn't want to think about. Instead he just held her, and hoped that she knew that even though he hurt her, that he still cared about her. Oddly, he thought of his father again.

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><p>Been listening to a lot of David Bowie lately. He's fucking awesome.<p>

Oh, and this chapter has made me wonder something. Maybe I should show some chapters of these characters when they were younger? I want to, but have no idea how that would work. Anyways, let me know what you guys think. Godspeed.


	27. Warrior

_***Notice: If you didn't read Chapter 26, go check it out. I only say this because there were some upload problems with the chapter, and I'm not sure how many of you either read the story, or weren't able to on account of the mess up.**_

So, I decided that since the last uploaded chapter messed up a bit, to do another chapter very quickly. Hope you guys don't mind.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>"So, what do you guys think?"<p>

Yamato and Taichi stood on the outside of Jou's apartment, sending off Susumu and Yuuko as they left on the long trek back to Odaiba, and Yamato was silent to Susumu's proposition. He had thought that his surrogate parents had wanted to visit simply to see where they lived and get a feel to how they lived their lives, but apparently, Susumu had ulterior motives for wanting to see them.

"An office job? I'm not really sure about that, Dad."

The kids were in the back of the car already, Yamato and the older three members of the Yagami clan standing just outside of it, and he said nothing, knowing that all present knew that he agreed with Taichi. Susumu had vouched for them, somehow securing jobs for them at the place where he worked, but Yamato wished that the man had checked in with them first. He was grateful for Susumu's intentions, there was no way that he couldn't be, but that office life wasn't for him. His lifestyle, his being in love with another man, it automatically meant that things in the norm or mainstream weren't for him.

"Look, Taichi, you can't just get by in life with odd jobs and money from your mother and I. You need a more stable source of income, and this is a good opportunity for you two. Especially since neither of you have degrees."

That future of the pretty wife and children running around was something that was out of his reach. He didn't really mind at all, though he knew that it sometimes bothered Taichi, but it was a thought that Yamato tried not to dwell on. They were proud Japanese, or at least part Japanese as was the case with the very Anglo-looking Yamato, and neither of them had the intention of ever leaving their homeland. He for one loved his country, felt at home in Odaiba, but there were some ugly parts of it that Yamato knew he had to live with. He couldn't marry Taichi, couldn't adopt or raise children with him, and he couldn't even hold his hand in public without being looked at like some sort of monster or perverted freak.

"Dad, I appreciate the thought, but I don't want an office job. That's not me, you know?"

"So what? You want to live your life like some kind of loser? You have no job, no education, and no idea what you want for your future."

It was the word 'loser' that brought Yamato out of his wandering mind. It was true that they had none of those things, had never really wanted them, and this was the first time that he had ever somewhat about it. Was that what they were? Losers, on top of being in a gay relationship in Japan? Were they really outcasts among the outcasts?

"Susumu."

Yuuko looked at her husband with soft eyes, there was no way she could look at her family in any other way, but she still didn't like the way that her husband said what had been troubling the both of them. She knew that Susumu loved his boys, Taichi and the two Ishida brothers, but she had hoped that he would have addressed their concerns in a more understanding manner. She, like him, wanted to see their boys happy and successful, but she, unlike him, didn't want to push them to any path that they didn't want to down.

"Don't even start, Yuuko. Right now is time for tough love. I want to see Taichi and Yamato making something of themselves, not this life that they're living."

The sun was shining brightly as they stood out in this strange part of Osaka, and Yamato did admit to himself that he and Taichi, along with Jun and Sora, were living unconventional lives. True, his life had never by normal by any definition of the word, but the way that he was currently living was as if he was coasting through life; living each day as it came to him. Yamato and none of his companions had ever expressed a want for a different life, a different future, and as he listened to Susumu's words about the office job and the life that came with it, he wondered, would there be a day where one of them wanted more than they currently had? Would Taichi get tired of him? Would Sora or Jun move on?

"What life, Sir?"

Yamato met eyes with Susumu, as did Taichi, and he wasn't sure or not whether they were challenging the man, or simply just waiting for him to finish. As Susumu stared back, the man himself had those exact same thoughts.

"I get it, trust me I do. You boys want your independence, I respect that, but you have to think about your future today. You each have girlfriends," Susumu paused, just to make sure that the two young men that he was talking to understood that what he was saying was serious and important, "what about them? Weddings are expensive, raising families even more so, and even with a good job you'll struggle with it. If you don't apply yourselves, you'll never be someone who you're proud to be."

Pride was one of the great virtues that came with being Japanese. In the years before the second great war, before they as a country had been culled by the atomic bombs of the mighty American empire in the West, Japan was a warrior culture. It was a thought that Yamato sometimes had, that they still had that warrior spirit inside of them, that warrior pride, and it was because of this that he was happy about who he was. Whether that meant being straight or gay, an office worker or a jobless vagabond, Yamato was proud of who he was.

"The two of us are okay for now, Yagami-san. Hiroaki left a lot of money when he died."

He had said the words with respect, and saw that in turn, that Susumu was going to respectfully drop the subject. At least for now, anyways.

"Your father's money won't last forever."

Yamato just nodded his head at Susumu's words. Nothing lasted forever.

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><p>Always be proud. No matter what, be a warrior.<p>

Also, I made a new picture for the story image. Like it?


	28. Alone

Hey, it's been a while since I updated this story. It shouldn't be that hard since the chapters are short, but I've been having trouble coming up with something. I have about six other unfinished chapters to this that I was unhappy with. In any case, I hope that whoever was reading this hasn't lost interest, but I want to update this again in the next couple days.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>He was having trouble tying the ribbon to the present box that Sora had insisted on making by hand, something that was much too intricate for his taste since he knew that Taichi was just going to rip it apart the moment it was handed to him, and Yamato was feeling a bit annoyed at the way that Jun was simply laughing at him instead of lending her aid. It was Taichi's birthday and at the moment said birthday boy was out at Koushiro's apartment fixing a toilet that Jun had purposely broken earlier in the day against Koushiro's protests. Apparently, getting Taichi to leave the apartment was going to be her main, and only, contribution to getting things ready for the day.<p>

"I don't think that's how you do it."

There were probably better ways of getting Taichi out of the apartment than having him fix toilets on his own birthday, but Jun wouldn't allow any other alternative. Even though he wouldn't say it out loud, at least until he had that ribbon tied down so that Jun wouldn't dare mess it up, Yamato figured that his ex-girlfriend taking Taichi out to a gay strip club or to get a beer would have been a better way for the guy to leave the apartment. Yamato couldn't shake the thought out, especially since all she was doing was watching him try hopelessly to get the ribbon tied, not even helping Sora to prepare the birthday lunch for Taichi.

"Hey, I'll gladly let you take over if you want."

He knew that he wouldn't have much luck in getting Jun to stop making fun of him to help out, and he wasn't very surprised when he heard her laugh again. Though, while he would never admit it, Yamato didn't really mind all that much. As annoying and insane as Jun was, hearing her laugh was something that he had always found enjoyable.

"I'm fine here just watching. You're doing fabulously, darling."

Messing up with the ribbon yet again, silently cursing the happily and blissfully whistling Sora who refused to settle for tape to use on the birthday present, Yamato just glared at Jun before slouching in his chair and giving up on wrapping the present for the moment. Pushing the box away from himself, before he had a chance to respond to the ex-girlfriend that he had always affectionately referred to as 'bat shit crazy', there was a knock on their door. Pausing, ignoring the nonchalant look that Jun had on her face that he knew meant that she wasn't going to bother getting up, Yamato peered over his shoulder to make eye contact with an equally confused Sora.

"I guess that means that I have to get the door?"

Watching as Sora simply shrugged, frowning as she turned her back on him to work on the food preparation once more, Yamato grunted as he stood up and walked towards his front door. He knew that it wasn't Taichi because Taichi was still supposed to be at Koushiro's place and would have used his key otherwise, so Yamato wasn't exactly sure who was at the door since they never were ones to have many visitors, with the exception of Koushiro who never really seemed to talk to anyone else. Every once in a while there would be random neighbors of both the fabulously flamboyant and more realistically reserved kinds, but for the most part they kept to themselves.

As he undid the locks to their front door, and as he placed his hand on their doorknob, it occurred to Yamato that his particular circle of friends hadn't changed much since he was a young chain-smoking boy, possibly adding to the reason on why he was slightly surprised at someone visiting them on Taichi's birthday. Growing up, it had always been Jun, his first love, Taichi, his second, and himself as they were facing off against the world and starting the processes to becoming who they currently were. Sora was a late, but welcomed addition to the mix, and Koushiro, as robotic as the strange neighbor could be, was someone whose company Yamato could live through. Turning the doorknob cautiously, opening it as if an unknown world awaited him on the other side, this idea possibly having a little more validity than Yamato would have originally thought, the last thing that he expected to see was the man known as Kido Jou.

Neither one of them saying a word, Yamato eyed Jou up and down, not being exactly sure why the somewhat awkward doctor in training had decided to show up at his front door. It was after a moment when he saw that Jou was holding an envelope, one that was probably containing some generic birthday card of some sort with a respectable amount of money that wouldn't come across as cheap or overly charitable, and he realized that the man was there for Taichi's birthday party. Stepping aside to let him come through the doorway, unsure if it was either Sora or Jun that had invited him, Yamato just closed the door once Jou was in the apartment. He said nothing to him, as he did with most strangers, and just watched as Jou nodded to him and then went off to greet Sora and Jun.

He wasn't sure what it was about the almost stranger that was now in his apartment, but there was something about him that caught troubled Yamato. The man was a doctor in training, a future professional and expert that deserved to be respected, but as he watched as Jou smiled that false smile that he had known all too well throughout his life, Yamato knew that something was definitely wrong with this man; he was lonely.

"Hey, grab us something to drink, Yamato!"

Silently heeding Jun's demand, Yamato made his way into the kitchen to grab a couple beers, Chinese and otherwise, from the fridge. Maybe it was Jou's loneliness that was the reason that he was so willing to let strangers move into his home for a week, the reason that he would show up to a person's home that he barely knew on their birthday, and it was something that Yamato was beginning to think more deeply about as he sat down at his dining room table to join Jun and Jou. Handing them beers, being surprised once again when he saw that Jou was attempting to tie the ribbon around the present box that he had had so much trouble with earlier, Yamato decided on something that he knew that the rest of his family, the ones he currently lived with in Doyama, would agree on. Jou wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

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><p>I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. Though, I do promise that the next chapter will be up soon, and it will have Taichi and Yamato interacting. In a good and happy way I think.<p> 


	29. Dancing

So, I was trying to think of something to write but was having a bit of trouble. After trying and giving up to write something a number of times, especially since I did want to actually show the party portion of Taichi's birthday, I decided to set this story apart for a while. Afterwards I began looking through the files on my laptop to delete any unwanted documents, and I found another only partially written (very partially) chapter for this story. I was hit with inspiration and began writing. While I did say that it would be a Taichi/Yamato chapter this time around, I have to apologize that it won't be. Instead, it's going to be a heart-to-heart chapter between Yamato and someone who he hasn't had one with yet in this story. I very much like heart-to-hearts.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>Despite living in Doyama which was Osaka's district that was renowned for both its gay and party scene, Yamato wasn't really interested by things that dealt with the latter. He hated crowds, in truth he wasn't very fond of people in general, and he honestly would have preferred to just stay home rather than spend his night in a club like he was doing. It didn't matter that said club that Sora had chosen for the alcohol bender portion of Taichi's birthday was filled with sweaty attractive men, especially since he wasn't going to sleep with any of them anyways. Dancing wasn't his thing.<p>

He had elected to sit at a booth near the back of the room, purposely in a spot where he could watch the dance floor, and relaxed with a drunken Koushiro for company as he searched for Taichi and Sora in the crowd. Yamato took a drag of his cigarette and squinted since he didn't see them at first, but then let the smoke out when he found them. They were acting pretty provocatively with one another on the dance floor, but he didn't mind since Sora was quite a bit less sexual than the rest of her roommates, and Taichi, open with it or not, was gay.

So Yamato just watched them, watched as Sora rubbed herself as close as she could against Taichi, and how he in turn placed his hands all over her body. He knew that he didn't have to worry about anything like Sora and Taichi messing around with each other, but the sight of what was happening still made him think. Taichi's father, the man who had taken both Yamato and Takeru into his home when they had nowhere else to go, was happy since he was under the impression that Taichi was actually involved with Sora.

He doubted that if Susumu knew the truth that the man would be angry with Taichi, but Yamato understood the fear of being rejected by a parent. He hadn't seen his own mother since he was a boy, and the pain of feeling abandoned still hurt on the days that he thought about it. Susumu was a good man, a better father, but that didn't stop Taichi from being afraid. Regardless, Yamato knew that he would just wait out the situation; things were easier that way.

"You think that they're going to have sex?"

Taking another drag of his cigarette, putting his attention back on Koushiro who was sitting across from him, Yamato had almost forgotten that Taichi had decided to bring their somewhat odd neighbor-friend along to the party. Even stranger was the fact that their neighbor, who spent most of his time alone in his own apartment, was now completely trashed after drinking only about a fourth of the amount of alcohol that the slightly buzzed Jun had already consumed in the past hour.

"Taichi isn't into girls."

It was a simple enough statement, though Yamato knew that once upon a time that Taichi had viewed it as a curse. That had been had been a long time ago though, even if the thought sometimes bubbled to the surface again, and Taichi dancing his heart out in a gay club located in one of the gayest parts of Japan was a huge leap forward than how the birthday boy used to think of himself.

"Not them."

Koushiro's words were slurred, a sight that was somewhat funny to Yamato, but the latter didn't quite understand who Koushiro exactly meant. Instead he remained silent, and began drinking some of the Russian beer that Jun had demanded be brought to their booth earlier in the night. Koushiro looked like he wanted to say something, and Yamato figured it would be best to just sit and wait until the awkward neighbor of his got whatever was one his mind off his chest.

"Do you think I have a shot with Jun?"

Whatever it was he was waiting for, Yamato would have never guessed that. Maybe it was the Russian beer talking, or the Chinese beer that they merrily drank until they had ran out of back at the apartment, but Yamato never would have thought that Koushiro was into the ladies.

"I thought you were gay?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Dude," Yamato paused what he saying so that he could take a sip of the delicious beer made in the land of the former Soviet Union, "look at where you're spending your night."

"It wasn't my idea to come here."

It was in fact Sora's idea to take all of her friends, even the apparently straight ones, to a gay club for a birthday party. Still, finding out that Koushiro was straight was pretty intriguing to Yamato, especially considering all the evidence that pointed otherwise.

"Dude, you live in Doyama. With the exception of Jou, and I guess you, everyone under this roof has probably sucked a dick once or twice in their life."

"Even Jun?"

"Especially Jun."

Things were silent between the two of them for a moment, though not awkwardly so. Koushiro seemed to be thinking, something he had always been good at, and Yamato just drank more beer, knowing that Koushiro would soon respond him.

"Do you think she likes Kido-San?"

Yamato watched Koushiro's eyes, and followed the direction that they were staring at since the young man's attention had been increasingly given to said direction. What he saw was Jun and Kido Jou dancing in a way that was even more provocative than the how Sora and Taichi were still dancing.

"Are you in love, Koushiro?"

The way that Koushiro stared at Jun and Jou on the dance floor, Yamato already knew the answer without having to ask. He too had once been in love with Jun, knowing that she would forever be part of his life the moment when she had kicked him in the groin when they had first met as children. Yamato didn't say anything about it, but he figured that Jun basically destroying his toilet to distract Taichi was the moment that Koushiro's groin, and heart, had been kicked.

"I think so."

Nodding his head, and sliding another beer from Mother Russia across the table to Koushiro, Yamato knew exactly how his friend felt. The two of them would have drink and share a toast since it was the birthday of someone who was very special to him.

"I'm in love too."

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><p>How did you guys like the chapter? I hope you caught the transition from Koushiro being referred to as a neighbor to him being called a friend.<p>

P.S. I am about 95% sure that I'm going to change my username. So, watch out for that.


	30. Christmas

This is my gift to you guys for being such loyal readers. I have been slacking it, so giving you guys a nice holiday chapter is the least I can do.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

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><p>"This is stupid."<p>

If there was one thing that Yamato hated, it was being forced to interact with large groups of strangers. Some things didn't bother him as much such as riding a train or bus or going to a night club, but there was something about standing in a line with what seemed to be hundreds of other people that bothered him tremendously. In a club or a train he was able to mind his own business and not talk to anyone else, something Yamato was very grateful for, but in a line filled with people, he just kept bumping into strangers continuously, having to frequently apologize every time he hit someone with his elbow. Even if it was for Christmas, waiting in this line was almost too much for him.

"Yeah, but it's something we have to do!"

As always, Taichi had a huge grin on his face as he spoke. Yamato just scowled, and the scowl became even bigger when he heard his companion simply laugh even harder. If there was one thing that he could never understand about Taichi, it was the fact that even when surrounded by people he had never met in his life, that the young man was always happy about it. Whether it was sitting in a football stadium, a game which Yamato also didn't quite like at all, or waiting in line to fulfill one of their Christmas traditions, just about everything seemed to be fun for Taichi.

"No, it's stupid. I don't even know how you guys talked me into it."

"Because even if you don't like to admit it, you like Christmas as much as we do."

It wasn't a fact that Yamato was even going to try to argue, and he and Taichi became silent as the line they were standing in inched a bit closer to the front counter. The smell of fried chicken began to drift in the air, and Yamato felt his stomach begging to have some. As stupid as this tradition of theirs was, as moronic as Yamato would always feel it to be, he couldn't help but fall in love with Christmas fried chicken. If he had to make a list of all of his favorite things in the world the list would be in order of favorite to least favorite: Taichi, Jun, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Takeru.

"I hope it's tasty this year."

The line to the counter wasn't moving very fast at all, in fact at times Yamato felt as if it was even getting longer in front of him, and he couldn't wait to get to the counter and get his chicken. He and Taichi had been standing in line for hours already, Sora and Jun going to another fried chicken restaurant to increase the amount of chicken they would be getting, and if not that, then to increase the chances of them even getting any fried chicken at all. If there was one thing that Christmas did to the Japanese, it was turn them into ravenous beasts that only ate fried chicken.

"Isn't it always?"

He knew that it was a stupid idea to bring up eating the chicken, especially since all it did was make him even more hungry, but it was too late to take the craving out of his mind. He looked over at Taichi who was staring up ahead at the menu, and smiled at the sight. If they didn't end up getting what they had waited in line so long to get, at least he ended up hanging out with Taichi for a few hours. The fact that there were other people in the line with them didn't do much to damper that little thought.

"Not when Hikari decided that she was going to cook it so she could save us money that one year."

"Oh yeah," laughing, Taichi looked away from the menu and back towards Yamato. He loved his younger sister, she would always be the little princess that he would never stop trying to watch out for, but there was no chance in hell that he would ever try to eat her cooking again. As hard as it was to believe, Hikari was a worse cook than even his mother, "how did I forget about that?"

Wishing that he was allowed to smoke at least one cigarette while he waited in line, ignoring the pair of screaming teenage girls that were laughing wildly at something while they waited in line right in front of him and Taichi, Yamato fiddled in the pockets of his jacket trying to see if he had anything that could take his mind off wanting to eat some delicious chicken from Kentucky, made with those secret eleven herbs and spices that the made the food so addictive.

"You and Jun got stoned so you could stomach your sister's terrible cooking."

At finally remembering why that particular Christmas all those years ago had always been so fuzzy in his memory, Taichi began laughing once again, almost even louder than the teenage girls that had been bothering Yamato so much already. Christmas wasn't Christmas without gorging on fried chicken to be sure, but it also wasn't Christmas without finding some way to avoid eating something that Hikari cooked herself.

"Wasn't that also the year that you forgot to get Takeru something for Christmas, and you gave him that really expensive jacket that you spent pretty much all your money on?"

Scowling once again as he remembered how he had blown what was left of his paycheck for that month on a jacket, only to give that jacket to his little brother when it was time to hand out presents at the Yagami's place, Yamato forgot for a second that he was even hungry. Sure, he had been angry with himself at the time, but now it was actually kind of funny. His scowl lessened and Yamato just started laughing along with Taichi as they stood in line with crowds of people they had never even met. He even began laughing louder than the teenage girls that were standing right in front of them.

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><p>It's a light chapter!<p>

Look up Fried Chicken and Christmas in Japan! It's crazy!

Merry Christmas!

P.S. How do you guys like the name Kal-El Fornia? If you know what that is pun of I think you'll think it's a pretty snazzy name.


	31. God

Hey, I'm glad you guys liked the new name for myself. Anyways, I'm here with another fast update! You know, kind of as an apology for taking so long to get back on track.

I feel like I haven't done a balcony chapter in a while, and that I haven't done a very dark one either. This is both I think, and my attempt to get a bit philosophical on you guys.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>They hadn't been out on the balcony of their apartment in a long time, life being too busy as of late to spend their time out in the freezing night, but Yamato remembered how much he had missed it as he and Taichi sat out there in the cold that was two in the morning in Japan. They were sitting down on the concrete, neither having said a word to the other, but that didn't matter to Yamato as he fiddled with that familiar cigarette that had always found it's home in between his fingers. Even if nothing was said, even if all that surrounded them was smoke and silence, being out there with Taichi was enough.<p>

"Do you believe in God?"

It was Taichi that had spoken, but Yamato didn't look at him. It was an odd enough question, religion being something that neither of them had ever really talked about, better yet, it was something that neither of them had ever even practiced. The only thing of religious importance in their home was Jun's rosary that she had been given by a priest that terrible night in the hospital all those years ago, and even then Yamato didn't think that the girl believed in a Christ, or a Buddha.

"There are lots of gods out there. You have to be more specific."

He was avoiding the question, something both he and Taichi knew, and he searched his pockets for his lighter hoping that Taichi would just drop the subject, knowing that he wouldn't.

"I dunno, just a force in the universe, you know? Something great out there that loves us."

He was a bit skeptical about that, never being one to believe in the supernatural, but there were nights that Yamato sometimes entertained the thought of something grand and amazing out there in the universe. There was so much evil in the world, Yamato himself had stared into the abyss and had allowed some darkness to forever taint his heart, but the thought of there being even a speck of goodness out there in the vast ocean of existence was enough to make him look towards the light, even if just for a moment. He had hatred inside of him, hatred towards himself, his father, and Natsuko, but when he thought of God, whatever that word meant, Yamato realized that he had love inside of him as well.

"Sometimes I wish that Hiroaki is in Heaven."

It was a phrase that he never thought he would say out loud, even if it popped up in his head every once in a while. Things were silent for a moment, Yamato now fiddling with his lighter as well as his cigarette, and he looked at how serious Taichi's face was out of the corner of his eye. His nighttime companion seemed to contemplating what he had said, Taichi having always believed that Hiroaki had been destined for Hell.

"Hiroaki was a bad man."

"Maybe so," pausing,Yamato looked up at the city sky that was almost devoid of all stars. Was this what staring into the abyss was? He wasn't sure, but he thought of Jun and the rosary that she had always held so close to her heart since that awful night that whole lifetime ago, "but he loved my son just as much as I did. What happened almost hit him as hard as it hit Jun, and sometimes I wish that my boy at least has someone who loves him wherever he is, even if it's just the plot of ground right next to him."

Rubbing his hands together, Taichi wished that he had worn gloves to be more comfortable out on the balcony. The silence that shifted between Yamato and himself making the Japan night seem even colder than it actually was. The young man looking up at the almost starless sky watched and wondered, if God existed was He ashamed of them? Was He ashamed of the world he created?

"Did the two of you ever pick a name for him?"

"Wouldn't it have been pointless, giving a name to a little boy that all you're going to do is bury? Besides, we never actually learned it's gender."

"Then how do you know it was a boy?"

Yamato's answer was immediate, himself remembering what Jun had told him when he had asked her the exact same question.

"A mother's intuition."

Accepting the answer, Taichi just kept staring at the dark sky, almost as if searching for something that would never be there. He hoped that he would have the courage it took to accept any truth in his life, no matter how hard it was. He hoped that he had the courage to stand before God and hold his head up high, proud of who he was.

"Do you think that Maeda is in Heaven?"

Yamato would never say it out loud, but he thought it was a shame that there weren't any stars in the Osaka sky that night. They hadn't known their neighbor Maeda very well, only knowing that the very young man had died violently, but as he sat out on the balcony with Taichi, Yamato wondered if Maeda had someone that he too stared at the sky with.

"Maybe."

The sky was so black.

"Do you think that God loves us?"

His mind was focused on dark thoughts, perhaps it always had been, but Yamato couldn't help but smirk at Taichi. Even surrounded by the blackness of a world that was cruel to it's outcasts, Taichi could always make him smile.

"The Japanese?"

"Men who love other men."

They were sitting out in the cold, almost no stars above them, and Yamato set down his lighter and cigarette on the concrete. Watching how serious Taichi was thinking, seeing his companion act differently than his happy-go-lucky self, he didn't feel like smoking.

"If God didn't love us, then why are the two of us here together tonight?"

It was question that gave an answer, and Taichi smiled when he heard it. Yamato wasn't sure if he even believed in a God, but what he did know was that he believed in love. As he sat there on the cold concrete in the company of Taichi, Jun and the dead son he shared with her warming his heart, maybe he thought that that's what God really was? Love.

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><p>Philosophical enough? I'm not sure, but that was my goal. Also, I had an idea for a companion story to this one. It would be set in the same "verse" as this story, sharing it's history and told in the same tone, except it would focus on Daisuke and his points of view back in Odaiba. Good idea? Bad?<p> 


	32. Apocalypse

Hey, it's been a while, but I'm back. First off I want to apologize for taking so long to update, and secondly I want to explain a bit. I'm kind of depressed. Clinically, I think. Every few months I go through bouts of depression and self-loathing, and this makes me not be able to write during those bouts. Usually it only lasts for a few days, every once in a while a couple weeks, but sometimes it can last for months. Those months you see me not updating on here? Yup. Anyways, it's not an excuse but I wanted to explain myself.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>"What would you do if the world ended?"<p>

It was a sober moment in the dark for him and Taichi out in Osaka that particular evening, and strangely enough Yamato hadn't even had a cigarette that night. It was an odd time for them to be out walking in one of Doyama's parks at that point of the day, not because the sun was almost gone but instead because it was still much too early for nighttime fiends such as themselves to be out hunting for adventures in the night. They walked aimlessly side by side, as he listened to what Taichi was asking, and he looked out towards the sun that was still setting behind some trees before he answered his companion.

"What do you mean?"

They weren't that far from the apartment to be honest, but for reason Yamato felt as if they had been out walking in that park for hours. He hadn't spoken much, instead listening intently while Taichi tended to ramble as was usually the case, but even so he was a bit curious as to what exactly was going on in Taichi's head. It wasn't often that his more than friend would ask him something this macabre.

"Say some demon thing came from another dimension through some weird magical portal thing and attacked us. Think about it, a giant groin monster trying to kill us and dominate the world."

The dark was approaching them, though he wasn't sure if it was in a more figurative sense than literal, as they walked passed some trees that Yamato didn't recall seeing the last time that he and Taichi had embarked on this short-term journey. True, it was quite possible that he had been inebriated in some way on the last visit, but he still figured that he would have remembered them at least slightly. He wasn't the biggest fan of people, for the most part with the exception of a select few he found human beings to be more or less irritating or detestable, but he rather liked nature if he had to be honest with himself. Whether it was a tree or some kind of animal, especially if it was some sort of canine, nature was something that always warmed his heart.

He heard the soles of his shoes, black leather dress shoes that he was breaking in so that they wouldn't hurt his feet when he actually needed to wear them, clack against the cobblestone with each step that he and Taichi took. It was rhythmic, stable, it was so like and unlike his own life at the same time. It was a contradictory thought, but one that was true nonetheless. Certain aspects of his life had always been the same going as far back as could remember, even as a boy his life had been connected to both Taichi and Jun, but there were other things about him that had been constantly changing since the day that he was born.

"What the hell is a groin monster?"

All the places where he had lived was an example of something that had never been stable. Whether it was the house that he and Takeru spent their toddler years in before Natsuko had abandoned them, or if it was the Yagami's apartment that they stayed in after Hiroaki was murdered, he didn't have that one certain place that he could call home. Odaiba was close to it, Doyama as well, but there was a certain spark that both lacked that Yamato wasn't quite sure what it was. He glanced over at Taichi who had been seemingly deep in thought, and held back a grin that was caused by the ridiculousness of the current conversation.

"I don't know? Some weird vampire demon shit or something?"

He laughed, always being amused by the odd thoughts that came to Taichi's mind. It was a lot more happy, more desirable, than his own dark thoughts that would often times visit Yamato. When he let his guard down his mind would go to dark places, and although he knew that Taichi himself wasn't immune to shadowy happenings taking place in his brain, it was refreshing to Yamato to know that more often than not that Taichi's mind was a nice place to be.

"Sounds kind of dumb. Too unrealistic."

As they passed a bench that two young women were sitting at in a way that was much to intimate for them to only be friends, Yamato felt Taichi stop at his side. He took a few more steps before he too stopped walking, and turned to look back at Taichi. Yamato looked as his companion was staring up at the twilight sky, and he too joined him in watching the darkening atmosphere.

"How bout if somebody dropped bombs on us then? That's more realistic."

"Somebody already has dropped bombs on us. They're called Americans."

Taichi watched as the light from the sun dimmed a bit more with each moment, and frowned from Yamato's answer. They were in a park at twilight instead of the usual midnight or 2am, a time of the day that was apparently supposed to be magical, and Yamato had no sort of imagination whatsoever.

"Alright, forget about the how then. What would you do if it was the end of the world?"

Yamato said nothing and only watched as the sky grew darker, and wondered if maybe that was symbolic for the difference between himself and his childhood companion. Even though Taichi was a nighttime spirit, having been forced to become that the moment that Jun and Yamato had entered his life, the young man was still a sunny person. For Yamato, sunshine had never been an option, and the dark of the night had always seemed to beckon him.

Staring as the twilight slowly left them out in that park alone, a pair of young and happy lesbians being their only company, Yamato thought back to Taichi's question. Without saying a word, Yamato walked back to Taichi and grabbed his hand. Maybe the apocalypse wouldn't be so bad.

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><p>I'll try to update soon, especially because I want to introduce Mimi in some way if I can find that possible. Also, I for sure am going to start that Daisuke story I mentioned that exists in the same 'verse as this story. Also, pretty psyched about the fact that we can now add more than two characters to be the main characters of each story on this site. Was thinking of adding Jun to be a main character of this story, but I think it's best left YamatoTaichi.


	33. Guy's Night

I had fun with this chapter. A lot of fun. An insane amount of fun. It isn't as heavy as the past two chapters, and I think you guys will like this.

If you don't remember, back in Chapter 25 a bar fight happened. That's important for now.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>It was a strange feeling to Yamato, being in a straight bar out on a guy's night, especially since he had gotten so used to sitting alone in a booth at the back of some random gay club. Truth be told, he enjoyed the atmosphere of this regular bar much more over the dancing and sweating ever blasting music that seemed to never stop out in Doyama. Out of Taichi, Jou, Koushiro, and himself, Yamato was the least drunk. It honestly wasn't that big of an accomplishment, had Jun been there the result would have been very different, but he still enjoyed the thought of being able to outdrink everyone that was in his company.<p>

The bar was located out in the mostly hetero mainstream part of Osaka, and they had gone out there for a guy's night out on Jou's suggestion. When it was asked, Taichi had been somewhat reluctant to go all the way out to hetero Osaka just for some drinks since the bar that Jou wanted to go to was rather deep into the city, but Yamato made it a point to accept the invitation. There wasn't a special occasion planned, but he wanted Jou to know that he had friends who would back him up, even for something as small as going out for drinks.

"Yamato."

"Hmmm?"

He was in the middle of drinking from a mug when Taichi nudged to him, and lowered the glass, somewhat annoyed about it. Wiping a little bit of leftover beer off his mouth, Yamato nodded to Taichi to let him know that he was listening.

"Do those guys look familiar?"

Taichi pointed to a group of three guys who were staring right back at them from across the bar, and there was something familiar about them, and about the way that they looked like they were just pissed off about something. It wasn't until one of the men stood up, and until Yamato saw a couple scars on that particular man's face, that it finally clicked who they were.

"Holy shit."

When he heard Yamato curse, Koushiro looked around with a rather confused look on his face like he didn't know where he was, this undoubtedly being because the guy couldn't hold his liquor any better than a prepubescent girl drinking her first wine cooler. Eyes wandering around the bar, Koushiro rested his gaze in the direction that Yamato and Taichi were already staring towards. Taking another half sip of beer, he noticed that there were rough looking guys across the bar that were glaring at them.

"What?"

Yamato finished up his beer before he answered Koushiro, it being his seventh glass of the night, and set down the mug as he leaned a bit closer to his tolerance-impaired friend.

"Me and Taichi beat the shit out of those guys."

He and the man who he had given scars to with a beer bottle in their last bar fight stared at each other for a bit more, Yamato not quite sure how he felt about the eventual confrontation, and straightened up in his seat when he noticed the three men stand up and walk towards them. He knew that he and Taichi could handle themselves well enough in a fight, this being proved the last time they had engaged in an old-school street rumble, but he wasn't so sure about Koushiro or Jou. He liked them well enough, but he couldn't honestly sincerely say that he believed them capable of holding their own in a fight.

"You eyeballing us?"

It was the first thing that Scarface, as Yamato was now calling him in his mind, said to him. He leaned back a bit, out of the corner of his eye noticing that Taichi was doing the same thing. Wanting to avoid any fights since Koushiro and Jou were with them, Yamato smirked and decided to give a thinly veiled threat.

"Just taking a look at the locals while we catch up with a few drinks, since we're on leave and all."

"So you're military then?"

As he had assumed, Scarface slightly backed away a bit. It wasn't anything too significant, in fact Yamato had almost missed it himself, but he was grateful to see it. If he pulled the right amount of subtle threats, they could possibly avoid a bar fight this time.

"Captain Falcon. American Special Forces."

Granted it was ridiculous, but it was the first name that had popped into his head. Yamato kept a straight face, and gave Scarface a hard look while the latter inquisitively eyed him up and down.

"An American, eh?"

"Make that two Americans. John Broadway, badass motherfucker, United States Marine Corps."

He looked over at Taichi who had inserted himself into the possible confrontation, and he looked back over at Scarface. The last fight between them started when Scarface began making homophobic gestures towards them, and it seemed to Yamato that these guys didn't recognize them. It was for the better he thought, but he began to slightly worry when he heard Jou speak up as well.

"Jake Elwood. Black Water mercenary."

Taking a glance at Jou, who now seemed on the verge of getting in on the fight himself, Yamato had to admit that he was pretty impressed with the guy. The thought didn't last long, however, and his attention was immediately on Koushiro once he too made his presence known.

"I'm Ishida Yamato."

Groaning, since Koushiro had had the bright idea to use his name, Yamato subtly began to look around to see if there was anything around him that he could possibly use as a weapon. He also couldn't help but notice that Scarface was looking at each of them quietly, as if evaluating who the smallest threat was. At least that was what Yamato thought, and it was proven right when Scarface began to single Koushiro out.

"We didn't ask you what your name was."

"And we didn't ask you to come all the way over here," Yamato was a bit surprised when Koushiro, who had gotten drunk the fastest from the least amount of beer, answered back. Though what surprised him the most was the way that Koushiro had ended his statement, "bitch."

"What the fuck did you just say?"

He watched as Koushiro immediately stood up, glass of beer still in hand.

"I said-"

Immediately, Koushiro was pushed back down, spilling most of his beer as he went.

"Sit your ass down."

"Hey," standing up and pushing Scarface, Yamato was going to do his best to defend Koushiro. He wasn't the most conventional friend out there, but the guy had grown on him."you mess with Ishida Yamato, you mess with me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

His face was inches away from Scarface, and he knew that at any moment blows were going to be exchanged. However, something surprised him about when that moment came, because although it had been bloody as he had expected it to be, the initial blow didn't come from either Scarface or himself. Instead it happened when Koushiro rushed forward from his seat and smashed his beer glass against Scarface's now even more scarred face.

He looked back to exchange a look with Taichi and Jou, and gave them an uncharacteristic grin as the two of them charged at and tackled one of Scarface's two friends. He looked over at Koushiro who was now pounding Scarface over and over again, and then he gave one final glance to Scarface's last remaining friend. In the ensuing fight with Scarface's friend many teeth were lost, but none of them were Yamato's.

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><p>I've been updating more recently, and today was the first time in a long time that I actually read some new fanfiction. I want to revamp my relationship with this site, and that means reading some new stories. If any guys have stories of yours that you want me to read just let me know.<p>

I'll be back soon.


	34. Wonder

Hey there. I had thought of this today while enjoying my Saturday, and decided to write something up. It's a bit of stark reality which comes off of the fun little chapter that we had last time. I'm glad about the nice response to last time's update, and I think you guys might like this one as well. As some of you who have actually talked to me may know, I think that my writing is crap. I love doing it, but I personally think that I'm terrible at it most of the time.

Though, I'm actually proud of this chapter and I like it. I hope you like it too.

Disclaimer: Out of tradition, I don't own Digimon.

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><p>The first thing that Yamato heard the moment that he and Taichi stepped through the front door of their apartment was Sora and Jun arguing, rather heatedly it seemed. He and Taichi had gone to one of their local convenience stores that was only a few blocks away from their apartment, their purchases ranging from strawberry fish snacks to American style frozen dinners, and they had only been gone for about twenty minutes. This along with the fact that Sora and Jun practically adored one another was one of the aspects of the two of them fighting that made it seem so strange to have happened so quickly, but what made it even more odd, at least to Yamato, was the fact that the two of them seemed to be arguing over a television show.<p>

"I said change it!"

"I want to watch it!"

It seemed that they hadn't noticed Taichi and himself enter, and Yamato wasn't quite sure what to think. Sure, Sora and Taichi had similar enough tastes in media as one another just like he and Jun had, but none of them had ever gone so far as to actually argue over something on TV.

He said nothing, as Taichi remained silent as well, and quietly set the bags of their purchases on the counter top in their kitchen. He had been as silent as he could be, the two women of his life being too entangled in their conversation to notice him, and it wasn't until Jun made a threat that Yamato thought that maybe he should step in.

"If you don't change it I'm going to grab your stupid red hair and rip it out of your head."

Jun was a free spirit and new soul that spent her life in Japan floating through the wind, and that was the one of the only times he had ever heard her make a threat to violence that sounded so serious. Yamato considered stepping in, something he usually didn't do, but as he was about to say something from the kitchen, Taichi plopped all the bags that he was carrying down, and ran over to the couch that Jun and Sora were sitting at.

"Come on girls, no need to get violent, right?"

He watched as Taichi sat in between their two female roommates to create a sort of buffer zone between them, though, in the end that didn't stop Jun from trying to reach over Taichi to try and grab at Sora.

"Give me that remote!"

"No!"

"Give it!"

"No!"

"What are you watching?" Yamato found himself forced to finally ask.

His words had silenced them, and when he walked into the living room area to sit on his recliner that was one of the few items that he let himself splurge on, he saw that Jun had stopped trying to grab at Sora. Instead, his manic pixie dream girl looked away from everyone and slumped on her side of the couch, speaking only reluctantly.

"It's just some stupid woman on some stupid talk show."

"Yeah well that woman is one of the most beloved women all across Japan." Sora interjected, fiercely defending what was apparently a host of some talk show, "She's only had this show for about half the year, but it's one of the highest rated shows in the country."

Ratings or things that were popular had never really been anything that was high on Yamato's list. Whether it was insanely popular like Christmas fried chicken or something that was more niche like golden Chinese beer, if Yamato liked something, then he liked something.

Looking at the television screen that had been on commercial since he and Taichi had come home, he wondered what had made Jun so angry.

"What's it about?"

It was obvious that Sora was still a bit mad and rather hurt by her confrontation with Jun, but Yamato asking his question seemed to perk her up a little bit.

"The life and times of the modern Japanese woman, and her place in today's world."

To Yamato, it sounded almost like a sound bite that was promoting the show over the radio, but truthfully he wasn't sure what to make about that. Sora sounded almost proud to be a member of the TV audience, and from what she had described it sounded like something that Jun would also very much like. He considered asking his pixie girl why would something like what Sora described get her angry, but decided against it when he heard the commercials finally end.

He heard the show music finally come back on, and he saw a title screen that simply said 'Madame'. Assuming it was the host, and being proved right as he watched the show and how several female guests had referred to the host as 'Madame', Yamato simply watched in silence.

It was awkward to say the least, especially whenever the 'Madame's' real name was said. Jun could only look in the opposite direction of everyone else, tears almost coming out of her eyes, and Taichi only looked towards the ground, seemingly ashamed. Sora, who obviously respected the host of the show, also watched in silence, forcing herself not to see how uncomfortable everything was.

Yamato said nothing, only studying the familiar face on the television screen, quietly surprised at the lack of any signs of aging. To him, the show went on predictably enough. There were different guests talking about the subject of the day, the female right to drink as much as a man wherever and whenever a man was allowed to, and there were also different gifts that had been given out during the show, such as gift baskets filled with wine bottles that cost four hundred American dollars. There wasn't much that interested him beyond the Madame's face, but when he heard one of the female guests, a woman named Akhiba Atsuko, ask a particular question, Yamato knew that he had to hear the answer.

"And how do you feel about children?"

"Well I have a confession," the Madame whispered, her audience that idolized becoming quiet at the same time. She gave a grin and chuckled, and caused her fans to roar in laughter. "I used to be one."

It wasn't the confession that he hoped for or that he was expecting, and he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. So, Yamato said nothing about it, instead just listening as Akhiba elaborated on her question.

"I mean to ask that in today's world do us Japanese women really need to have children? I don't know about you, but I think that I'd rather stick to margaritas for now. Personally, I think I'd prefer hangovers to morning sickness."

"Children," the Madame paused, a momentary look of sadness crossing her face, and as Yamato sat on that recliner that had comforted him when he had felt the darkest, wondered how many times this look had come across the Madame's face. "children are wonderful things."

"Excuse me, Madame?"

"They might seem like a hassle to some, and I'd be lying if I were to say that children were easy, but I see no reason for the woman of today to avoid having them. They are like tiny people who love you, and tiny people that you love back even if you don't know where they are, or even if it seems like a lifetime ago from when you saw them."

"I didn't know that you had children, Madame."

From his recliner he leaned forward, unsure of how the Madame was going to answer. He paid no attention to anyone else in the room, and in the back of his mind pondered if maybe Takeru was also watching.

"I don't, but if I did, I hope that I'd still be able to say that they are wonderful."

Honestly, he had expected the denial. He didn't think anymore on it though, because it was at that moment that Jun finally began to actually cry and run towards her room. Taichi looked back at him for a second to give him a nod, and then Yamato watched as he chased after her.

Sora's gaze lingered on the direction that Jun had run before turning her eyes back towards him. With a breath, Yamato stood up from his recliner, neither Sora or himself paying any more attention to the continuing conversation between Akhiba and the Madame.

"That woman has no idea what she's talking about."

"Come on, that's not fair."

"Everything she says is bullshit."

Sora looked away from him, saddened by his words. There was a part of him that wanted to apologize for hurting Sora's feelings since he had come to love her and had come to see her as family over the two years that she had been in his life, but he didn't regret his words. Instead, he offered no other comments, and stood patiently as he waited for the weary-looking Sora to once again speak.

"What makes you think that, Yamato? Why do the three of you hate her so much?"

He began to walk in the direction of Sora and Jun's room in order to console his pixie girl, not even stopping when he decided to give Sora the reason for all the animosity, feeling that even that was more than the Madame deserved.

"She's my mother."

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><p>...<p>

Did any of you expect to see Natsuko turn up? Her and Hiroaki are some of my favorite characters of all time so I feel kind of bad making them abusive/neglectful in this story, but I feel that it adds to it in at least some small way. In the Digimon franchise the whole Ishida/Takaishi family are my favorite characters, ranking only behind Motomiya Jun who is, oddly enough, my favorite Digimon character. It's why I used her in this story since I had a chance to.

Natsuko, you're my favorite as well.


	35. Monsters

So what do I post after that last drama-bomb of an update? Something completely and utterly pointless. Though, I think it's a nice light sort of pointless.

Anyways, it's one in the morning and I couldn't sleep, so I wrote this up instead.

After talking to a reader of this story I did the math of how much time has exactly passed. According to my math, which may need correction since I'm bad at math, about 2 years and 8 months have passed since the very beginning. That averages to about one year every ten chapters, though that's not how I'm currently doing it. Futhermore, the current ages should be: Taichi is 22, Sora and Yamato are 21 going on 22, and Jun is somewhere between 22-25. I couldn't find any good information about her age compared to the rest of the gang. I don't remember if she's any older than them in canon, though I'm pretty sure that she is. Honestly, for the sake of the story, I'm thinking of having her be the same as them just to make it easier.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>"So, which one?" Yamato asked, not quite sure why the girls had left the decision up to him and Taichi when they were the ones who had wanted to watch something new so badly.<p>

He couldn't remember the last time that he had actually gone out to a department store for the purpose of buying a DVD, especially since a quick search on the internet could have provided a faster and cheaper experience, but in the end there Yamato was, holding two different DVDs, Taichi staring at them as well.

"Which was which again?"

Frowning, he thought for a moment as he looked at the two different DVDs in his hands. The one on the left, the one the ever-lovely Sora had asked for, boasted the fact that it had won and had been nominated for numerous awards, with several well-respected actors being tied to the project. The one on the right, the one that Jun had obviously asked for, boasted the fact that it had full frontal nudity. Had Taichi been the only one making the decision, Yamato knew that the choice would have been clear.

"The one Sora wants is a harrowing historical drama of heroism in a dark time where heroes didn't exist, and the one that Jun wants is a romantic comedy with a shallow plot and shitty writing, that basically amounts to porn at the end of the day."

He looked away from the DVDs, both being too pretentious and shallow for his taste respectively, and Yamato knew what Taichi was going to say once he looked and saw the grin on his dear companion's face.

"I say we go with the porn one."

He didn't have to be the world's greatest detective to have guessed that outcome. Ignoring Taichi for a second, Yamato continued to stare at the DVDs in his hands. He didn't really want to watch another pretentious and pedantic four-hour European movie that was only made so that it could win awards and so that it's viewers could talk about how cultured they were, but he was leaning a bit more towards Sora's movie than to Jun's. Even if Sora's movie was something that snobs loved throwing time and money at, it was at least better than an uncreative raunchy movie that was made to make quick cash.

"I don't know, I'm not really in the mood for that kind of thing right now."

Immediately, Taichi grabbed the movie that Jun had suggested watching out of Yamato's hands. He himself had never liked boring dramatic stories, comedies had always been more of his thing, but if it was a comedy that included included male nudity as well, Taichi couldn't ask for a better movie.

"How can you not be? Look at that guy on the cover!" Taichi practically yelled as he held out the DVD to Yamato, with his other hand pointing at the very bishonen protagonist.

Without a word, Yamato slowly took the DVD back from Taichi. He gave it another look, and did silently concede to the point that the lead actor who had risque scenes in the movie was extremely attractive. Still, he knew that the movie was, as all eloquent orators would put it, complete shit.

The only other thing about Jun's movie that could possibly make it less awful was the running time of it. Neither movie was something that he wanted to waste precious moments of his life watching, but at least Jun's terrible choice of a movie wasn't four hours long. With that in mind he was about to concede to Taichi that watching Jun's movie over Sora's would be more enjoyable, but there was something that finally clicked in his mind when he was looking over at the different actors and actresses that starred in the raunchy movie.

"And look at that girl."

What they both barely realized was the fact that while there was going to be full frontal nudity, albeit censored nudity since that was the law in Japan, said nudity would also be of a woman as well. Yamato who had previously had a sexual relationship Jun didn't mind seeing female nudity at all, though he had other preferences instead, but for Taichi the only allure that the of the promised raunchy movie had was the bishonen lead.

"Point taken."

Sighing at how much difficulty the two of them were having with something that really ought to have been an easy task, Yamato just felt like giving up and buying both of the movies to bring home to the girls.

"So, which one?"

"This one," Taichi said as he pushed passed Yamato to grab at a DVD box set that he had barely noticed was shelved a bit off to the side. He grabbed the box set and looked at it for a second, before turning around and showing it to Yamato.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's an anime about a bunch of kids who run around with monsters that beat the shit out of each other."

"Sounds like animal abuse to me," Yamato muttered, not believing that Taichi was actually advocating that a whole anime series would be easier to watch than the movies Sora and Jun had wanted to.

"It truly is."

Taking one final glance at the movies that Sora and Jun had asked for, wanting to take any opportunity to avoid watching either, Yamato just shrugged and placed the two movies back in their places on the shelf in front of him.

"Let's get it?"

"That's the plan."

Without another word the two of them began making their way towards the cash register on the other side of the department store. Sure, kids running around with monsters wasn't exactly the first thing that popped into his mind when it came to wanting to watch something, but as he let the thought settle, the more he liked it. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was a certain affinity growing within him that warmed him up to the idea of kids with monsters. As he and Taichi continued to walk in their own comfortable silence that they had nurtured between themselves over the years, he wondered, what kind of monsters would they have had?

* * *

><p>Utterly pointless? I think so. Did I like writing it? You bet. But yeah, I've been thinking on that Daisuke spin-off I mentioned a while back. The working title is: <strong><em>A Home at the End of the Street<em>**. At least it is until I think of something else. The main question in my mind is whether to start it when they are 16 as they were at the beginning of this story, or if I should start it when they are 18-19 as they would be at the point this story is now. I'm still pondering.

Anyways, have a nice night everyone. I really do appreciate you guys.

P.S. I looked up the movie _A Home at the End of the World,_ which is the movie of the book that gave me the initial idea to write this story.

This is what the late Roger Ebert had to say: _"The movie exists outside our expectations for such stories. Nothing about it is conventional. The three-member household is puzzling not only to us, but to its members. We expect conflict, resolution, an ending happy or sad, but what we get is mostly life, muddling through . . ."_


	36. Welcome

Hey, it's me again. This is another lighthearted chapter that I wanted to toss your way, because the next chapter, or at least the chapter after that, is going to be really dark. Like dark dark. Like, maybe the darkest I've written? It will also feature another familiar face from the Digiverse. I really want to use Mimi soon, but this won't be her.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

* * *

><p>For the first time in a long time that he could remember, Yamato had woken up alone. Usually Taichi was the one still in bed by the time that everyone else was awake, Yamato almost always leaving him there by himself since most of the time he was already awake for a few hours by the time that Taichi got up, and it was a bit strange for Yamato to be the one to wake up last.<p>

"Taichi?"

His eyes were still a bit heavy, the new bed comforter that Sora had bought them seeming to be more attractive by the second, but regardless, he forced himself to stand up and get out of bed. Putting on a pair of shorts that were randomly lying on the floor, at the same time deciding to remain shirtless, he made his way out of his room, and began walking towards the more open area of their apartment.

However, as he left the hallway of his apartment to enter the kitchen and living room section of their home, his morning only became all the more odd. Not only did Yamato see Taichi sitting at their dining room table drinking what he assumed was coffee, probably spiked with something, he also saw that Jou was there as well, in his underwear.

"Morning, Yama-chan," Taichi greeted, raising his mug to Yamato as if there was nothing at all abnormal about the current scene.

Ignoring Taichi and the annoying nickname he had been referred to as, Yamato couldn't take his eyes off of Jou. He had grown fond of the doctor in training in the time that he had decided to offer a hand of friendship towards him, just as he had grown fond of Koushiro as well, but there was something awkward about waking up in the morning only to find a mostly naked Jou sitting in what was usually his chair.

"Jou?"

"Good morning, Ishida-san."

Jou, as would have been expected, bowed his head and greeted Yamato respectfully, but that didn't negate the fact that Jou, as polite as he was, was almost completely nude.

Yamato was silent for a moment, still quite not sure what exactly to say considering what he was looking at. So instead of immediately saying anything, he walked over to join Taichi and Jou at the dining table. Taichi and Jou were having what was probably spiked coffee, and when Yamato sat down next to Taichi, he fished out a nearly empty pack of cigarettes that he had in his shorts, and grabbed one of the many lighters that were resting on the table, hoping that at least one of them wasn't empty.

"Can I ask what you're doing in our apartment this early," Yamato asked, as he grunted in annoyance when the lighter he had picked up didn't work. "in your underwear?"

"I thought that everyone would be at work right now."

Well, it wasn't quite what he expected to hear. Narrowing his eyes at Jou, Yamato didn't say anything else for a moment as he tried to get a few of the different lighters to work. On his sixth one he found a lighter that still had a bit of juice in it, and with it he lit his cigarette.

He wasn't supposed to be smoking inside the apartment as Sora and Taichi had agreed to when they had first signed the apartment lease, but he had never really been much of a stickler when it came to rules anyways. Taking a deep breath of the tobacco that Yamato was sure would kill him some day, he finally answered Jou.

"Taichi doesn't have a job, and I live off an inheritance. And that still doesn't explain why you're in your underwear right now."

Unable to contain the amusement he had been holding in anymore, Taichi burst out into laughter. He thought it was funny to see how serious Yamato was acting, and even more seeing how uncomfortable he was, and Taichi was loving it all the way. Putting an arm around Yamato and pulling him in close, Taichi dramatically pointed at Jou with his other hand.

"Isn't it obvious, Yamato? Jou here got laid."

Taking into account what he just heard, and looking over Jou once more, Yamato consented that that would actually explain the current predicament quite well. Jou was in his underwear in their apartment and Jun was never really particular about the men she had sex with, so he figured that Jou getting laid would make the most sense, all things considered. Still, as he looked at the embarrassed Jou whom Yamato had barely just realized was covered in scratch marks, hair still a mess, he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Koushiro since he knew how their other friend felt about Jun.

"Damn it, Koushiro," he couldn't but mutter, angry at Koushiro for not having the courage to express his emotions earlier.

"Huh?"

It was then that he realized that both Taichi and Jou had no idea what he was talking about. He considered something in his mind for a moment, and he felt Taichi take his arm off of him. Taking a drag of his cigarette, Yamato figured that there wasn't any harm in revealing Koushiro's secret anymore, especially now of all times.

"I wasn't going to say anything since I wanted to let the guy do things at his own pace, but he's in love with Jun."

Unexpectedly, Taichi burst into another bout of laughter, but Yamato's attention became focused on Jou when he heard the doctor in training respond, sounding confused as ever.

"What does Jun have to do with anything?"

"I thought you had sex?" Yamato asked, not really understanding Jou's words.

"He did," Taichi offered as his laughter calmed, taking that moment to get a sip of his coffee.

Putting the pieces together, he eyed up Jou, looked in the direction of the hallway where everyone's rooms were, and then looked back at Jou once more. Scratching his head, Yamato was sure that he had the wrong idea.

"Sora?"

"Sora," Taichi confirmed, Jou being too embarrassed to say anything himself.

"Damn."

"I know, right?"

Taking a moment to think about what he just learned, Yamato simply smiled and reached over the table to offer a cigarette to Jou.

"Welcome to the family."

* * *

><p>So, there you go. I had fun with this. I liked it.<p>

Anyways, that spin-off I've been talking about? I've been working on it seriously. I've begun some trial and error stuff concerning the opening chapter to see what I like or want to use. One thing that has particularly been on my mind is whether or not it's going to be all told from Daisuke's point of view, as this story does with Yamato, or if the points of view are going to rotate between Daisuke, Takeru, and Hikari. Honestly, I'm leaning to the rotation approach.

Fun fact: originally, I was going to go the rotation route with this story, but as you all know, it's all from Yamato's perspective. Let me know what you think? If not pure rotation, then something that is mainly from Daisuke's POV. Or all the way. Still haven't made up my mind.

P.S. I've begun to rewrite this story. I feel like my writing has improved from when I began this story two years ago (Yeah, it's been that long), and I want to go back and fix some things up. Nothing major like plot points or anything, just certain things I want to clean up. Like grammar and phrasing wise.

I've been inspired from other writers on this site who are much more talented than myself, and I feel that all of us should work to inspire more people. Think of a pyramid scheme, except with inspiration and creativity rather than cold hard cash.

Stay safe.


	37. Wonderful

I'm back. I've finished this semester's courses over here in Long Beach, but I signed up for a summer class I need. Sucks, but I need to do what I need to do.

I've been thinking, maybe we've been in Osaka a bit too long? Perhaps we deserve a change of scenery? 

Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to some Japanese company. I want to say Bandai?

* * *

><p>It wasn't a word that he used very often, with good reason considering Yamato's home life when he was a boy, but so far the night had been wonderful.<p>

Sora had had the idea for them to all dress up and go out for a night on the town for no particular reason at all, in fact the spontaneity of it all actually added to what made the night turn out so lovely, and there wasn't anything that Yamato had found to be at all wrong with their evening. Koushiro and Jou had both been too busy to join them, Jou at the hospital where he interned and Koushiro had been vague about his plans, but Yamato thought that it was nice enough for just him and his housemates to go out instead just themselves.

They had all dressed up in suits, even Sora and Jun, and he and Taichi were even given matching bow ties since Sora thought that it was "cute" when couples wore matching outfits. They had gone to a Western-style opera that Sora was able to score tickets to from her job, which Yamato still wasn't quite sure what it was, but he didn't think any more of it when Sora had asked him if he wanted to go. Truthfully, an opera wasn't really his thing, but then Taichi of all people had expressed slight interest in going. With that, the deal was already done.

It was a sort of time that was magical and wonderful and all those words that people used to describe evenings that they would never forget, but reality had returned to them and Yamato knew that the memory of the night would forever become soured because they weren't in that opera stadium anymore listening to beautiful and fleeting Italian voices dancing through the air, but they were standing right at the entrance of one of Osaka's many alleys, staring at a dying dog.

"Should we call animal control?" He heard Sora almost whisper right behind him, the first thing that any of them had even thought to say.

Starkly, the dog in front of them was a reminder that even if things had been going smoothly, or even if life had been happy in the moments right before, that sometimes endings had a way of finding themselves becoming dark, even if the story had otherwise been a happy thing. It was a lesson that Yamato had thought he had learned under Hiroaki's household, but with all the years that Taichi and Jun had been at his side, and even more recently Sora, it was a lesson that had begun to mean less and less to him as time had gone on. As he stared on at that poor dog, he thought that maybe this was a reminder to what Hiroaki's heavy fist had taught him?

"Won't they put it down if we call them?" the young man who was wearing clothing that was matching with his responded, Taichi sounding unsure and hesitant in his words.

If anything, that probably would be the outcome of what would happen if they called animal control. It was breathing heavily and looked like it was trying to find refuge of some sort by the dumpster in the alley, and Yamato figured that Taichi was right, and that if animal control was called that it would be decided that maybe the dog was beyond their help. It looked recently bloody, part of its ear seemed to be gone, and the animal had patches missing all around its body where fur should have been.

"Maybe that's the humane thing to do?" Jun responded Taichi, almost as quiet as Sora had been.

He himself was still quiet and Yamato took a few steps towards the cowering animal before getting down on one knee to get a better look at it. The alley floor was wet and dirty and he was wearing a new and expensive suit, but is was something that he didn't care about as he carefully held out his hand towards the dog. It flinched as he touched it, and Yamato frowned since it was that that let him know that whatever had happened to the poor thing was the work of another human being.

Taichi, Jun, and Sora may have thought that putting the animal down was the humane to thing to do, and perhaps it was once he thought about it, but at the same time he had the feeling of wondering since when was 'humane' a good thing? In all of the animal kingdom, only human beings had ever expressed anything close to savagery.

He continued to pet the animal softly, and felt a twinge of something inside of him when he saw the fear that the dog still had in its eyes. It was a fear that Yamato himself had had before once upon a time, and he felt a sort of kinship with the canine knowing that the two of them had gone through some of the same things in life. He brought his hand to the missing part of its ear before stopping, and then he let his hand drop away from the animal as let himself think for a moment.

Without saying anything, no words ever being able to come to his mind considering the current situation, Yamato simply began to take off the jacket of his suit. If nothing else, this was the least that he thought he could do.

"What are you doing, Yamato?"

Ignoring Taichi, he started wrapping his jacket around the poor dog. Pulling it in towards his body, Yamato stood up and began humming as best as he could one of the Italian songs he had listened to earlier in the night. He heard and felt the dog whimper against his chest, and all he could do was hold it tighter. Hiroaki had taught him that people were selfish and that at the end of it all that happy endings weren't really a thing, but as he held that dog Yamato felt as if maybe, just maybe, Hiroaki's teachings weren't actually true.

The night would still be wonderful.

* * *

><p>Starting <em>A Home at the End of the Street<em> soon. Probably going with the different viewpoints each chapter.

Also, if you want a dog I suggest maybe checking out a shelter first? It really is one of the best things you can do regarding animals, and you don't know the extent of how much you're actually doing for it. It really is an amazing thing.

Peace.


	38. Search

So I was going across some of my old documents on my laptop trying to figure out what to delete and what to keep, and I came across this chapter of **_A Home at the End of Japan _**that I neglected to update a few months ago according to the document's date. After a read through and a bit of editing I decided to post it. Happy birthday, America.

Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Japanese people.

* * *

><p>"So guys, how do I look?"<p>

Eying her up and down as she showed off her outfit, Yamato honestly would have preferred it if Jun wore less skimpy clothing when she went out on dates. He had no problem with the idea of her getting laid as much as possible, hell he even thought that it was admirable in an odd sort of way, but it still was rather uncomfortable to watch her wear less and less clothing on each of her subsequent outings. There were a lot of bad men out there in the world, and a good deal of them would take Jun's fashion choices as an excuse to act out on some of their more darker instincts. As Jun showed off her body to her three roommates, Yamato found that he could only answer earnestly.

"You look like a whore."

Grinning, Jun knew that she had chosen the perfect outfit for her night in the more heterosexual part of Osaka. That part of the city might not have been as flamboyant or fun as Doyama was, but if she wanted some male companionship she was going to have to travel a bit outside of their neighborhood. Frowning Yamato or not, she was going to have her fun.

"Thanks! That's the look I was going for."

Waving as he watched the former love of his teenaged life grab her purse and leave the apartment to go have sex with a stranger, Yamato thought on exactly that point. Jun hadn't always been so liberal in her sex life, as hard as it was to believe she had actually spent a good number of years in a monogamous relationship with him, but those days had been over for a very long time. In the rustle and bustle of the Odaiba life that the three of them had shared, Yamato had been involved with both Taichi and Jun, and somehow all three of them had been able to remain as friends once everything had all been said and done.

Maybe it was the ganja that he and his roommates had partaken in before Jun had left that was making him feel sentimental, that green dreamy smoke always having that type of effect on him, but he thought that maybe Jun was out there searching for something, or someone. He had a feeling about what it was, he himself believing that he had found it in Taichi, but he still couldn't tell when it came to Jun. Honestly, he thought, that perhaps he wouldn't ever know what in fact it was that she actually wanted from all the different guys she gone out with?

It wasn't something that made him glad, although it didn't make him feel bad about anything either. The one thing that bothered him about Jun's life, and it was something that Yamato had been thinking about as he sat with Sora and Taichi at the dining room table sharing a beer with them, washing down what was left of the primo that Jou had scored them last night, was the fact that the day could in fact come where she stumbled across somebody who didn't quite have the best intentions in mind. Other than that though, Yamato understood.

Everyone had their own way that they had to walk through their lives, even if it was on the same path as somebody else. He thought of the different outlooks that he and Taichi had when it came to viewing the world around them. As naive as it was, Taichi looked at others optimistically and had always seemed to try to find the best in people, while he on the other hand had always had the opinion that most people were, to put it eloquently, shitty.

After becoming lonely without them, Jun had joined their life in Doyama, a life which the two of them had already begun sharing with Sora, who Yamato still didn't quite know everything about, the mystery of Sora adding to the fondness that he had grown to have for her. She wasn't as optimistic as Taichi or Jun were when it came to things, nor was she as broody or as depressing as Yamato knew how certain people around him described him as, but Sora was a subtle combination of both. As he looked at her while they sat at that table drinking, Yamato could tell that her life had had its hardships, but that despite it all, despite sad tales that he felt that Sora was still hiding from them, she was still one of the most affectionate people whom he had ever met.

Then there were Koushiro and Jou, latecomers to what Yamato could only describe as his dysfunctional and nontraditional family. They weren't the most social people out there unlike his three faithful roommates, but then again neither was Yamato. They had their own awkwardness to deal with and their own insecurities, but in the end so did everybody.

He sat there in silence only half-listening while Taichi and Sora chatted about something mundane, and he kept thinking about the fact that he and all their friends had somehow ended up becoming a part of one another's lives. Despite all the different upbringings and viewpoints, despite all the different dreams they had and different walks of life, they were now all part of the same circle of friends, of the same family.

He thought of Takeru who was still in Odaiba with Hikari and Daisuke forever by his side, and he thought of all the different adventures he was sure that they got themselves into once they sure that nobody else was watching them. He thought of the fact that he and everyone around him were searching for different things out of life, and he just hoped that all of them would find it in time.

"I'm gonna make a beer run. Wanna come?"

Drifting out of his thoughts, Yamato looked up at Taichi who had stood up, and he too began to follow his lead.

"Alright."

He didn't say anything about it, as he often didn't, but simply smiled instead. He was pretty sure that he had found what he was looking for.

* * *

><p>Also, that super dark chapter I said was coming up? I have it written up, but I'm lagging on posting it. When I said it dark, I meant it was dark. Like, murder dark. Not sure if I want to make that cannon in this 'verse.<p>

Anyways, I've been considering ending this at the 50 chapter mark? Not sure, because I really do have a soft spot for this story of mine that I've shared with all of you.

P.S. Next chapter will feature Mimi. It will be her debut.

P.P.S I'm also not sure what to do about the dog from last chapter? Add it into the mix? Ignore it's existence?


	39. Sailor Moon

I'm here with the Mimi chapter! I believe that she is just lovely.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

* * *

><p>They hadn't seen Koushiro in about a month. At first no one had thought much of it since Koushiro had been known to disappear from time to time due to his government job that was apparently too much of a secret for him to tell his friends about what it was, and even though the rest of the gang were only slightly concerned, Yamato had a pit in his stomach that made him feel like this most recent seclusion was something that was much more serious than all of the other ones. He didn't like to think of himself as superstitious, but at the same time Yamato didn't want to rule anything of that sort out as well.<p>

He and Taichi were standing outside of Koushiro's apartment, the last two times that Taichi had gone by himself there hadn't been an answer at the door, and Yamato was feeling uneasy. They had been standing there waiting for five minutes, without an answer, and he watched as Taichi just kept on knocking, this time refusing to go back home unless he saw Koushiro first.

There wasn't an eviction notice posted on the door so Yamato figured that it didn't have to do with anything like that, and there wasn't really much else that he could think of that could be the reason that Koushiro had apparently shut himself in from the rest of the world. Pondering on all the different things that it could be made him nervous, especially since he actually did have a soft spot for the awkward young man, and Yamato did what he often did when he was feeling a bit off. He turned to cigarettes.

He knew that the tobacco could someday come back to haunt him, but regardless, Yamato dug through his pockets for his newest pack of cigarettes, popped one in his mouth, and lit it right outside Koushiro's door. The building did have rules against smoking indoors, and the landlord had brought complaints to him about said smoking, but that darkly dreaming feeling in his chest wouldn't go away, and nicotine had always been the first place he would go when something didn't sit well with him.

He watched silently, not saying a word, as Taichi raised his hand to begin banging on the door finally, but it was then that the door actually opened. What he saw was surprising to say the least, since the person who had popped her head out of Koushiro's apartment wasn't Koushiro, but instead was what looked to be a pretty attractive young lady, though not exactly his type all things considered.

"Can I help you? Sorry if it took me long to answer. I like to cook while listening to music and I didn't hear you at first."

Taichi looked back at him, and Yamato just shrugged in response. It was odd to see someone who wasn't Koushiro hanging out at Koushiro's place since they never actually had seen the guy spend time with anyone other than themselves, but there wasn't anything wrong with a young man having a young woman be cooking at his home. Sure, it was a bit odd considering who it was, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

"Is Koushiro around?" Taichi asked, since Yamato never was the one to take the lead in matters or situations like the current one.

The young woman eyed the two of them suspiciously, and then she turned around and looked behind her. After a little bit of that, she peeked her head out once more. The pit in Yamato's stomach continued to stir.

"And you are?" the young woman finally asked, apparently deciding that she wasn't going to slam the door in their face.

"I'm Yagami Taichi."

Immediately, he saw the young woman's eyes light up, and she opened the door widely, as to give the two of them space to enter. Yamato studied her with a bit of suspicion, just as she had them, and wondered what Koushiro could possibly have had to do with this woman. She was dressed casually in sweats and had slippers on, and yet at the same she had her hair and face meticulously done and taken care of. He began to think of different circumstances of how this woman had any possible connection to Koushiro, but his thoughts were interrupted before they could begin when the young woman dramatically and accusingly pointed her finger at him, and spoke in a voice with just as much over-the-top flare.

"That makes you Yamato, right?"

He met eyes with Taichi once again, except this time it was Taichi who shrugged instead of himself. He knew it was something that others had described as one of his flaws, although he himself saw it as a strength, but Yamato had never really been very good with people. As he stared at the young woman in front of him he had a thought that she was perhaps maybe just a bit too off-kilter.

"How do you know?"

"You're not smiling."

He frowned for a moment, but then he forced it away once he realized that by frowning he had just proven her right. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, Taichi laughing about it as the woman stood triumphantly as if she had just slain Hector of Troy in battle, and silently Yamato began to give life to his dimming cigarette once more since he wasn't quite sure what else to do.

"If you want me to let you in, no cigarettes."

He blew the smoke he had just inhaled out, and stared daggers at the young woman in front of him. He needed his cigarettes.

"Koushiro doesn't care if I smoke."

"You're not getting in here with any cigarettes. You either put that out yourself, or you stay outside."

He considered for a moment just leaving then and there, but decided against it since he hadn't seen Koushiro in about a month, and there was still a black feeling he was having about the guy, despite the odd woman who had answered the door.

Dropping his cigarette to the ground and putting it out with his boot, the young woman smiled brightly, and motioned them inside. The air smelled delicious from what was apparently her cooking, and he looked around, not actually seeing Koushiro anywhere. Despite how seemingly peaceful and clean the inside of Koushiro's apartment looked for once, Yamato couldn't shake the uneasiness that he felt, although he decided to not voice his thoughts just yet. Instead he stayed quiet, and let Taichi ask the woman who she was.

"We never actually got your name."

He nonchalantly looked back at the young woman, still suspicious of her, and Yamato almost face palmed when he saw that she was posing like something right out of Sailor Moon.

"I'm Mimi, and I'm kind of a badass."

* * *

><p>For the first time I'm going to do something I've never done before, I'm going to advertise a story written by someone else. There is a story called <strong><em>Days<em> **that is written by an author who goes by AmiraStarr. I would very much appreciate it if you guys took a look and read that story. It has four chapters and only four reviews, three of them mine, and I think that's just sinful. It really is a fantastic story, one of the best I've read recently, and it deserves more recognition. It is like this story in that it deals with different random scenarios, except it deals with all the people out of the Adventure 'verse. It might be unconventional to advertise, but if you have time can you maybe take a look? Hell, if you do go check it out, let me know! I'll, uhm, reward you with an internet high five? Or, I'll reward you by writing a one-shot based on any scenario you can think of! Even something that isn't Digimon related, granted if I know the source material.

It may sound odd and like a bribe, but I truly believe this story deserves to be read.

Anyways, you guys like Mimi? Next chapter will pick up where this left off, and it will address that feeling Yamato had in the pit of his stomach.

P.S. That spin-off featuring Daisuke, Takeru, and Hikari is up and so far the reception has been good. Two chapters have been uploaded and it is titled _**A Home at the End of the Street **_if you want to read it.


	40. A Beautiful Mind

Recently I had the idea for another Yamato/Taichi story set in a prison and told from Taichi's point of view after he's convicted of a crime. It'd involve prison politics and well, whatever else you'd expect from something Taichi/Yamato.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. Also, it is now on Netflix! Both the English and Japanese versions of Adventure and 02, so hells yeah!

* * *

><p>As he stood in the middle of Koushiro's apartment, as he stared at all the new amenities that he didn't remember being there from the last time he had visited, Yamato frowned, not sure if the way that Mimi had made herself at home at Koushiro's apartment was the way that the somewhat odd young man preferred his home being like. It was true that things were much more tidy than they had been when it was just Koushiro alone, government papers and documents usually strewn around the room whenever it came time for him and Taichi to go over and drag the guy out for some drinking, but there was something about the lavender scent that pervaded the air, accompanied by the smell of some homemade food that seemed so unlike Koushiro. All in all, even though he wouldn't say anything out loud so as not to be rude to Mimi, there was something rather off about the whole situation.<p>

"Whatever you're making it smells delicious!"

"Well it should! Some people have said that I could have my cooking show if I wanted to." He ignored Taichi and Mimi as they chatted and made small talk, he himself had never been much of a proponent of wasting time talking to somebody that he didn't like or didn't care to know anything about, and his eyes drifted his line of vision down the hallway that led to Koushiro's room. Without saying a word he began to walk in that direction to check up on the guy, but stopped when he heard Mimi call out from behind him. .

"If you want to go to the bathroom that's fine, but leave Koushiro alone right now. Doctor's orders."

He turned around and narrowed his eyes at Mimi. She seemed to be a nice young woman, Taichi had already gotten along with her well enough, but he wasn't sure if he exactly trusted her since he still didn't know who she was beyond her name. He looked back over in the direction of Koushiro's room, and then back to Mimi. Her eyes stared back at him, just as suspicious as his were.

"His doctor is at my place right now watching a documentary about manatees," Yamato paused for a second as he thought back to the lame activity that Jou had chosen for them to do that night. He would never understand it, but the young doctor apparently had quite the fascination with marine life, "and I don't remember him ever telling Koushiro to lock himself up in his room all month."

With a pout, Mimi marched across the room, and stared at him dead in the eye. Yamato considered looking over at Taichi, knowing that the other young man probably had a rather uncomfortable face at the moment, but instead just kept on staring at Mimi, waiting for her to say something.  
>"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm his doctor and I say that you should leave him alone until he's had something to eat."<p>

He changed from looking at her suspiciously, to looking at her skeptically instead. She was adorned all in pink, her booty shorts, for lack of a better word, were covered in stars, as was her shirt, and she didn't quite give off the vibe of academia.

"You're a doctor? You look more like a cheerleader."

"Double major in adult psychiatry and neurology from the Johns Hopkins University over in Baltimore, Maryland," Mimi boasted proudly as she began poking Yamato's chest with her index finger, "and I was also a national cheer leading and wrestling champion as well, thank you very much."

He opened his mouth to begin arguing with Mimi, but didn't say anything when he heard Taichi loudly cough across the room. Yamato looked over at him and sighed when he saw that Taichi was gesturing at him to not say something stupid. Instead he thought for a moment, and asked the one thing that had been on his mind since he and Taichi had left their apartment, and that awful manatee documentary that Jou was so intent on watching.

"Is Koushiro okay?"

Just like he had, Mimi opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and sighed. She motioned him and then Taichi over to the dining room table, somewhere Yamato had never sat at since it was always covered with papers, and he and Taichi went and sat there silently. He watched as Mimi walked into the kitchen to check on the food, and then as she rummaged in the fridge and brought out three bottles of what looked like beer, presumably for the three of them to share. He couldn't help but frown when she walked back over to sit with them, and when he saw that the beer she had handed him was non-alcoholic.

"As long as I'm around, he'll be just fine. I didn't leave New York just to screw up at something this important"

Opening the non-alcoholic beer and taking a drink, a part of him wondered what the point was since there wasn't even a possibility of himself getting any kind of buzz from it. After a second he pushed the thought out of his mind and looked Mimi over once more. She had lost the slight bubbly feel that she had about her earlier, and she looked rather tired once he got a good view of her face, tired and worried.

"You seem like more than just a doctor to Koushiro, what with you leaving behind the States and all that just to come over here."

"I've known him my whole life. We grew up in the same orphanage together, and we've always looked out for one another. America will always be there, and I'm here to make sure that I can say the same about Koushiro."

He met eyes with Taichi, and grunted as he took another sip of his disgusting drink. The pit in his stomach came back.

"What's wrong with him?" Yamato finally found himself asking after about a minute, actually caring about the answer since he, even though he would never say it within earshot of anyone, actually cared about the answer.

He watched as Mimi looked down into her own drink, and absentmindedly twirled a bit of her hair. She sipped some, and then she began just staring forward. It was in his direction, but something inside Yamato told him that she wasn't staring at him, just forward. Maybe that's where she wanted to be, maybe that was a place where Koushiro would be safe from whatever it was that haunted him.

"He hears voices."

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><p>I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but well here it is.<p>

Anyways, I feel the need to say thank you to you guys who have been reading, and especially to you guys who have been giving feedback throughout this story. I'm glad to say that this story has received over 200 reviews now, and it's something that I'm really happy for since it's my first story on here to do that. Thanks again people, special thanks to the following who I noticed have reviewed this story multiple as we've gone on this little journey together:

Angelfish369, chromate, PinkCandy-x,TogetherAgain, MrGooseyMoose, AmiraStarr, krikanalo, DrummerDancer, Songstryss, Anime Leo, Darkness Within Us , KoumiLoccness, GoldsworthyGontierGirl123, and anyone else I might have missed since I am rather tired at the moment I apologize

I've spoken to a lot of you privately, most of you in fact, and you have all been a pleasure to know.


	41. Misfits

It won't be any time soon, but Iori's grandfather will have a chapter or two that he'll star in later on. Anyways, it's been a while and I'm glad to have a laptop once more!

I was just kind of inspired to write this. Not sure by what, but bam! Anyways, read on folks. I feel like my writing has gotten so much more refined from where I was as a story teller in the early stages of this tale. Thanks for reading. It really means a lot to me that you've all stuck around for this long.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>Festivals had always been something of a paradox for Yamato, them being something that he both hated and adored all at the same time. The crowds of people he never quite liked since it had always added to the fuel that he felt inside that no matter where he was, whether back in Odaiba or right there in Doyama, that he was somewhat of a stranger when it came to his fellow man. Whether it was the rare blonde hair that only he and the other foreign kids had or his red-light upbringing, there was always something that marked him as different than others. At the moment though, in the middle of all the footloose dancing and vibrant colors that stained the night, like horses that freely ran with the wind, there was something about the night that felt rather, well, righteous was the only word that he could think of to describe it.<p>

As it had been ever since he was a little boy back in Odaiba, Taichi and Jun were both with him enjoying the festival. Jou and Sora had gone with them as well, but it had been an hour or so from when he had last seen them. He had seen Sora dragging Jou away somewhere, and he thought that perhaps it was best to give the two of them their privacy. Even Koushiro was there, against the wishes of Mimi who felt compelled to tag along so that she could keep an eye on their mutual red-headed friend.

At that moment he didn't have any sort of grand epiphany about anything, and neither did he have some great insight into the meaning of life, and all he could say was that it was actually sort of nice to have the whole gang be at the same festival. Somehow, all of their random steps and random choices had ended with them all being together at a particular crossroad in life, and Yamato wasn't quite sure just how much longer that would last. A lot of times, especially when it involved something that he held dear, things turned out to only be temporary. As he smiled in the middle of the crowd that he was standing in, thinking of the friends he had made, he wondered how much more time it would take until they would no longer be just around the corner anymore.

"How much longer do you think it's gonna take before Jun remembers that the guy she's coming onto is gay?" Taichi asked as he laughed and elbowed Yamato in the arm.

Shaken out of his thoughts, Yamato squinted his eyes at the scenario in question that was going on just down the sidewalk. Jun was a tad bit drunk and was hanging off of a half-naked man, a neighbor that lived in the same apartment as them that worked in the local bakery, who was dressed like a cowboy and was covered in glitter, and she was making terrible puns that involved said cowboy taking a look at her 'wild west'. Honestly, he couldn't take the girl anywhere anymore.

"Eh, let her have her fun. The thrill is in the hunt as they say."

He stared ahead at Jun as he knew that Taichi was thinking on what he just said, and when he heard his brown-haired company break out into laughter once more, Yamato walked away from the scene and began walking into the street that was nearest to them that had been shut down for the festival.

"I guess we're just ditching everyone else then, huh?" Taichi questioned jokingly, following Yamato as the two of them began to walk through the streets.

"Why have one adventure when we can have four?" Yamato replied, somewhat unsure if he even agreed with himself.

"Well, I think that one giant adventure with all your friends might be a little more fun than four smaller adventures with everyone split up."

He only sighed at that, and nothing more was said on the matter as they walked. When they reached the other side of the street, they stopped and Yamato began to stare at all the different people that were in front of him. He had never liked crowds, or people in general for that matter, but there was a sort of kinship that he felt for the people of Doyama. Or, perhaps kinship wasn't the best word, but he did relate to them better than the people of Odaiba.

All around him were same-sex couples, both gay and lesbian, making memories that, as they say, would last a lifetime. He also saw drag queens and more transgendered folk laughing and having a good time, many of them dancing and singing all the while. He saw some younger kids too that he assumed were runaways that had run off from home to Doyama rather than tell their parents who they were, and thankfully he also saw some older trans and gay people as well who were keeping close to the young teenagers, keeping a watchful eye over the runaways since many of them had gone through the same in their youth. He didn't know if the term 'misfits' was the best to describe the citizens of Doyama as, himself and his family included, but at the moment he thought it did just fine.

"Do you ever think that we'll be able to see Odaiba like this?" Yamato questioned, perhaps sounding maybe just a bit too dreamy considering the odd sight that Taichi gave him.

"Probably not," Taichi answered truthfully, "but don't think of Odaiba as any less because of that."

"Don't get me wrong, I love Odaiba, like alot, it's just I'm not in love with it. I'm not like Takeru who creams his pants over a city."

Taichi, ever the twelve year old on the inside, could only laugh at that statement.

"Well, he damn well better cream his pants! We all have roots in that city."

Yamato smiled, and took in a deep breath of the fresh night air. All these 'misfits' as he saw them had all had to go through different paths in life to somehow end up all the way in Doyama. His own road in particular had been rather bumpy, but he honestly wouldn't have changed a thing if it meant that his family would be anymore different than how it was.

A moment later he kicked Taichi in the leg and took off running. As they say, the thrill is in the hunt.

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><p>I felt rather calm writing this. You can only be Mr. Broody for so long until you want to write something...nice. I mean, the heartbreaking stuff will always be there in the underlying stuff, just quiet enough to where you can forget about it, but it has a tendency to stick around.<p>

Still, we can dream, right?


	42. Cereal

I decided that I will not be ending this story at the chapter 50 mark. I thought that that's what I was going to do, but there is so much that I want to tell that can't possibly fit until then. Personally, I feel like this story is nowhere close to its end. For now, let's pretend I'm taking one of those 100 chapter challenges that certain people like to do.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>Yamato stared at the empty chair at the dining room table that was usually Takeru's spot whenever they munched on something, and he silently wondered where on Earth his little brother could have gone as he ate the generic store-brand chocolate puffs cereal that his father always seemed to buy at the grocery store. He didn't remember Takeru saying that he was going to go anywhere, and after all his little brother was only twelve years old so it wasn't as if he could just up and head out without letting anybody know where he was headed, but Yamato was a tad worried all things considered. He paused as he ate his chocolate puffs cereal, the one that came out of the box with the shoddily drawn cartoon alligator on it, and then he looked over at his father who was sitting across from him, quietly eating the same thing.<p>

"Where's Takeru?" he asked, Yamato figuring that if anyone had any idea where little Teeks was, as the neighborhood often called him, then it would be their father.

Hiroaki grumbled as he chewed his cereal, annoyed with his son, before he swallowed and responded. "Right now Takeru is with Yamaki."

Yamato looked down into his cereal and stirred the chocolate milk in the bowl as he thought. He had known Yamaki for a long time considering that Hiroaki was a business partner of his, but he had never exactly trusted the man. Yamaki was a personable enough individual for a pimp anyways, but the problem was that Yamaki was exactly that, somebody who peddled people like they were meat. Yamato had never seen Yamaki treat his whores badly, by all accounts whenever his father had dragged him over to the brothel they all seemed happy enough, but it still made Yamato uncomfortable whenever he thought about it. He remembered when his father had taken him to the brothel a few months earlier as his birthday present for when he turned fifteen, and even though the 'companion' that his father had made him see had smiled and laughed during, there was a deadness that he saw in her eyes when he forced himself to look.

He looked back up at his father and met Hiroaki's eyes for the first time in weeks. "What is he doing with him?"

Hiroaki grunted. "That's Takeru's business, not yours."

"He's twelve." Yamato deadpanned, believing that his little brother was still too young to have any kind of 'business'.

"And yet he knows better than you do not to push himself into the affairs of others." Hiroaki spat right back, not appreciating the sarcastic tone in his son's voice.

Yamato didn't move a muscle, he especially made sure to keep his eyes staring right directly at his father's, and even though he knew he would probably be punished later for acting like a 'little shit', at that moment he was challenging his father. All the while he hoped that his brother was safe.

He glared with everything he could. His words were completely sincere. "If Yamaki does anything to Takeru, then I swear I'll kill you myself."

Hiroaki snorted. "So you want to kill your old man, eh?" he laughed, as he then plopped his spoon into his bowl before standing up.

Yamato prepared himself for anything since he had never actually threatened his father before. He had glared at him, sure, he had fought back physically whenever he had gotten especially tired of being beat on, but he had never threatened to murder him before. He wondered if he could perhaps smash his glass bowl into Hiroaki's head and then run off, but he felt a bit less scared for his life when he saw Hiroaki leave the table to go off into his room. That all changed though when he saw Hiroaki come back into the room a minute later, brandishing a revolver.

He didn't run and stayed where he was, Yamato unsure of what would have happened had he done so, and his heart was racing much faster than the proverbial mile a minute. It slowed however, not by much though, when Hiroaki sat down in Takeru's chair and set the gun down on the table.

"You want to kill your old man?" he repeated, "Then prove to me that you're not a little bitch."

Yamato said nothing as his father pushed the revolver in front of him. He picked it up, it felt heavy, and he gulped since he had never held a gun before. He looked over at Hiroaki and his hand started shaking before he set the revolver down, never wanting to touch the damn thing again.

"That's what I thought." Hiroaki announced sharply as he picked up the revolver and admired it. "Never threaten someone that you're not prepared to kill."

Yamato was silent for minute as he began to eat his cereal again. He was staring down into his bowl once more, but looked over at his father when he felt Hiroaki grab onto his shirt.

"Just so you know, Yamaki and Motomiya took Takeru and Daisuke over to the zoo earlier this morning because the kids wanted to see the new baby tigers."

"Oh."

"Yeah, right fucking oh. And if you ever threaten me again, I'm going to use this gun," Hiroaki paused as he shook the revolver for effect, "and I'm going to pop one right between your asshole."

Yamato just nodded and continued eating, and said nothing as Hiroaki sighed and went off to finish his own breakfast. At that moment his eyes began to glance around the room, and then it landed on the happy-go-lucky badly drawn familiar alligator that was on the box of knock-off cereal that his father always insisted on buying.

"Are you alright, Yamato?" came Sora's voice, which caused him to look away from the knock-off cereal that he had been staring at.

It was early and he and Sora were out to the market to get some stuff for breakfast and the apartment in general before either Taichi or Jun woke up. "I'm fine. Just reminiscing on my childhood."

At that Sora smiled, as the sweet young woman always did. "Nice things I hope?"

"The best," Yamato responded as he picked up the box of knock-off chocolate puffs that had the shoddily drawn cartoon alligator on it.

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><p>I actually like Hiroaki as one of my favorite anime parents. I feel like writing a one-shot as penance for how I wrote him here. I don't believe this counts as character bashing since I'm not writing Hiroaki like how I have because I hate him, but I think it adds to the story.<p> 


	43. Death

I was thinking of doing another spin-off to this story, except a fixed one with only ten pre-planned chapters. This and "Street" are going to go on indefinitely, but the spin off I had in mind would deal with the love between Natsuko and Hiroaki. I'll see what I do.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>Truthfully, the movie was pretty much crap. It was an American slasher flick that was dubbed in Japanese that Jou had given them earlier, because surprisingly enough Jou was apparently a very devout connoisseur of the horror film genre. They had taken it and had promised to watch it, and as he and Taichi currently were, he couldn't help but feel like just turning the movie off. Horror wasn't a genre that he exactly enjoyed, but it wasn't because he was actually afraid of anything. Instead, it was because Yamato already knew what was going to happen.<p>

The black guy had already died, as did the teen couple who sauntered off to the woods to have unprotected sex, and Yamato yawned as he just watched the killer cut off the head of the plucky comic relief. He already knew that the wide-eyed and sweet virgin girl would be the one to miraculously survive the night despite all other factors saying that she should have been the first one to have a machete burst through her chest, and the only question that remained was whether or not her love interest, the quarterback with a heart of gold, would either survive the killer or be the one to suffer the most gruesome death.

The rookie but ruggedly handsome park ranger who didn't believe in the local superstitions about the lake was still alive, not for long though because Yamato already saw what was going to happen to him on the dvd box cover. The only thing to wonder was if the park ranger was only going to bleed out from having his entrails ripped out or if the killer was going to do something creative like hang the ranger with said entrails. Also, the frightening local with the missing eye and the hook for the hand was still kicking, but Yamato figured it was only a matter of time before the local showed up to sacrifice himself against the serial killer to try and save the remaining dumbass teenagers from certain death.

He had hoped that Sora and Jun were going to be there to watch the movie with them, especially Jun who always made a point to crack jokes during particularly awful films, but the two of them were out of town for the weekend. Jun had announced that it was because she and Sora were going to spend the weekend finding hot tourists and gang banging them, but then Sora had helpfully corrected their more eccentric roommate to simply say it was a business trip for work. Why Sora needed to drag Jun along for a work event was beyond him, and with that he and Taichi had been given the apartment for the time being. Taichi had suggested using the weekend to have 'hot crazy sex, baby', but Yamato, to his regret, had insisted they actually watch the movie that Jou had given them since it was pretty much already about time they return it on account of the fact that it had been sitting on their coffee table for two weeks, not having been touched once since Jou had dropped it off.

"Pretty scary movie, huh?" Taichi asked beside him, sounding just as bored.

Yamato shrugged. "Terrifying."

Both of them yawned at that, Yamato out of an actual desire to smash his own face against the coffee table, but Taichi, he yawned out of an ulterior motive. A moment later, Yamato felt Taichi's arm wrapped over his shoulder, and Yamato turned his head to look at his fellow young man, not believing that he was seriously using that tired cliché on him.

He considered standing up and walking out of the movie just on principle for that fact alone, a different part of his brain wished that Takeru would never be that desperate to pull the same move that Taichi just did, but after a moment of thought, Yamato figured that it might have been best just to go with the flow. He relaxed into Taichi, and they continued to watch the movie in silence. It was still crap, but at least the whole actual watching experience wasn't all that bad. Like he had often heard Jun say, watching a movie was like a cinematic adventure.

It was an adventure that Taichi could grin at, and Yamato as well, before after a thought of his own, one that Taichi knew he shouldn't have had, he sighed and glanced at Yamato. "Yamato?"

Yamato looked at Taichi in return, not believing that he was going to miss much from the movie in doing so. "Yeah?"

Taichi opened his mouth, the thought he had still making its rounds in his head, but then he closed it, never wanting to think of it again. He forced a smile and then looked away from Yamato and back at the television. "Never mind."

Yamato sat up, knowing that something was wrong. He reached over to the coffee table for the remote, and after pausing the movie, he placed a hand on Taichi's shoulder, and forced the brunette to look at him.

"Tell me."

Taichi hesitated, looking down instead of at the man he had spent so many years and dreams with. He took in a deep breath, and decided to let Yamato know about the fear that he had every time he let his mind drift off to the night where Maeda had been murdered. "If I ever die, don't ever let me hold you back, okay? I want you to promise me, Yamato."

Yamato paused for a moment, not knowing how to respond to that. Taichi turned in his direction, eyes glistening, and Yamato slowly but tenderly brought his hand to Taichi's face. He didn't know exactly what to say to that, he especially didn't want to make that promise, and so Yamato leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Taichi's. "Hot crazy sex, baby?"

Taichi was crying just slightly, but couldn't help but laugh at that. He nuzzled back into Yamato as he answered him. "Hot crazy sex, baby."

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><p>Not sure what I think. This started out as all lighthearted, but then took a turn near the end as I was writing.<p> 


	44. Ending

?

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p><em>"I hope that we win, Yamato," the aforementioned young man had remembered Taichi saying to him right before he had gone out to buy some more cigarettes.<em>

_"What do you mean?" he had asked nonchalantly while putting on some new boots that Yamaki had sent him._

_Taichi had shrugged back at the apartment, not one hundred percent sure what he himself even meant. "It feels like something is ending soon," he admitted, knowing all the while how cryptic and nonsensical it sounded, "but I hope that if it is, that we come out on top, you know?"_

_It had sounded serious to him, so Yamato figured it was best to lighten the mood. "Well, only one of us can be on top, and tonight it's my turn."_

_Taichi hadn't of laughed back then and had simply watched him for a moment before responding. "I love you, Yamato."_

_He had gotten ready by then and Yamato stood up, feeling a bit tense. He laughed it off though, and patted Taichi on the arm before he turned to leave so that he could have his smokes for the rest of the night. "I love you too."_

Yamato stood frozen as the teenager's gun pointed in his direction, but his eyes were moving all around, frequently landing on the barely breathing person that the teenager had already shot. The teenager's hand was shaking, and Yamato held out his own in reassurance.

"Look," he began as he moved his eyes away from the man who had already been shot and over to the teenager, "this doesn't have to get any worse than it already is. Just put the gun down, and this will all be okay."

The teenager took one meaningful step in Yamato's direction and watched as Yamato backed away for a moment, before he shouted. "Fuck you, man! Don't tell me what to fucking do!"

He didn't know if the teenager was on drugs or if this was simply a mugging gone bad, but Yamato just raised his hands for a moment, not wanting the situation to get any more intense than it already was. He looked over at the man who was bleeding out more and more with each passing second, and Yamato closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he reassured himself that everything was going to turn out okay. He didn't quite believe himself, but he knew that he had to try something to calm his own nerves.

There was a lot in his life that he still had to experience before he died. He doubted that he would ever have the opportunity to get married, he knew he would never have another son, and he tried to force himself to not think about all the different things that he would miss. Whether it was another one of those rare fun moments where he caught Takeru doing something stupid after Daisuke had goaded him into it, whether it was Jun being her usual rambunctious self living out her hilarious existence as the third wheel of their tricycle, or whether...whether it was sharing just one more night with Taichi, they were thoughts that he pushed out of his mind faster and faster as he heard the footsteps of the teenager echo with each step on the pavement.

He had never been the kind of person who prayed to God, honestly he wasn't exactly sure if there even was a God out there in the first place, but as he had his eyes shut, he felt that maybe reaching out to Him or Her or whatever It was would be okay. His prayer was quick, asking to maybe find a safe way out of the situation, and if not, that at least his loved ones could come out stronger in the end.

"Do you know what he did?!" the teenager shouted at him, Yamato still keeping his eyes shut. "Look at me when I'm talking!"

Yamato stopped and breathed for a few moments, forcing himself to open his eyes once more. For the first time since he had stumbled upon the teenager and whoever it was that he shot on the way back to the apartment after he had gotten his smokes, he was finally able to get a good look at the teenager's face. He looked around the same age as Takeru did, in fact he would have been surprised if the teenager was any older than his little brother, but it wasn't that that stuck out to Yamato. What stuck out the most, what he didn't think he would ever be able to get out of his mind, was the fact that the teenager was crying and shaking as he held his gun.

He wasn't sure who the injured man was or what his relationship was to the teenager that was now brandishing a gun, but Yamato held his hand out to the boy, thinking that maybe this wouldn't have to be the end for any of them. "Whatever it is that he did, we get through this together."

The teenager quickly tried to rub away his tears, before shaking his head and pointing his gun back at the man he had already shot. "I'm gonna get through this by putting a bullet in his fucking head!"

Seeing a chance to get away, Yamato took that moment to turn and run as fast as he could. The teenager shouted some indescribable words behind him, but what made him flinch was when Yamato heard the sound of a gunshot. He didn't stop though and just ran raster, and at the first corner that he could he immediately turned it. He was panting hard, his breathing slowing with each stride, and even though he didn't hear anyone running after him, he kept on going. It wouldn't be until the sixth block that he ran passed that he finally stopped, and as he gripped onto the wall of one of Doyama's many random buildings that he had began to rest against, it wasn't until then that Yamato finally realized that he was bleeding.

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><p>...<p> 


	45. Reunion

The next three chapters will be...something else. Something I've striven for in this story is realism, and I feel that for the most part I've hit the mark on that point, but this is quite a bit different than what you've read so far. It's up to you whether or not any of it is even real.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon.

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><p>The last thing that Yamato had remembered seeing was the sidewalk as the sound of police sirens soared all around him, but even though it was the last memory he had of anything, it felt like it had all happened a lifetime ago, it felt like nothing more than a dream he once had. He didn't think much about it though, and his hand was shaking as he raised it to the door knob of the old apartment that he had once lived in with his father and brother. He didn't know how he got there, or when, but there was something pulling him inside, something tribal and primitive almost, but it was something that he couldn't ignore. He closed his eyes and took a breath as he rested his hand on the doorknob finally, and as he entered the apartment he hadn't been in since the Yagamis had taken him and Takeru in as their own.<p>

The first thing he noticed about the apartment was the way that it smelled, like males with the faintest scent of maybe ginger or lavender, with a bit of cigarette added in just for good measure. Yamato had always known better than to say anything to Hiroaki, especially when he would see the man come home with a perfume that nobody in the apartment would ever use, but it smelled like his mother. He took it in, and closed the door behind him as he walked through the place that used to be his home.

Oddly enough considering his memories of the place, knock off chocolate cereal and cigarette burns covering his legs, Yamato felt a bit of nostalgia as he walked through his old home, but it was something that quickly disappeared once he heard the sound of snoring coming from the living room. Without thinking he quickly made his way over there, not knowing what he was going to find. When he found who was snoring though, Yamato only scratched his head when he saw that it was some kid with red hair who was asleep on the couch. He walked over to the kid to get a better look at his face, and for a reason that he didn't quite know, Yamato couldn't help but just stare at the little drooling boy. He raised his hand to the boy's face, his heart beating faster and faster the closer his hand got to the child, but after a moment Yamato pulled away, because it was at that moment that the room had begun to smell like a hospital. Tragedies in his life had happened in hospitals, and as such Yamato had always been wary of them, but it wasn't something he thought much about, since it was then that Yamato turned around when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"His name is Atushi," Hiroaki smiled as Yamato only stared at him.

The last time he had seen his father was the night that he was murdered, and Yamato only had the faintest memory about why he would be in the same place as his dead father. He tried to remember for a moment, but all he could come up with was something about buying cigarettes? Something about a teenager?

His thoughts only drifted back to the little sleeping boy again as he tried to think of other things, but eventually all of those said thoughts all just led to the child. He considered resting his hand on the boy's forehead, but decided against it when he looked back at his dead father. "Atushi?"

The older man shrugged. "That's what you would have named him if he didn't die that night in the hospital. It's after some musician I think."

There was something tugging inside of Yamato telling him that all of this was something that he was supposed to be shocked about, something he was supposed to fight against, but as he took in that old smell of lavender and cigarettes, as he looked at his father and then back down at the child that was supposed to be his son, the question he asked couldn't come out as anything else but calm. "If the two of you are dead, then why am I here?"

"Because you're dead too."

Yamato checked himself, patting around to see if everything was alright. "I don't feel dead."

Hiroaki only laughed at that one. "And how are you supposed to know what dead feels like?"

He thought on it for a moment, and then shrugged since he figured that Hiroaki did have a point with that one. Still, Yamato thought that he should have felt something at least, if not something physical, then something different than the nonchalant way that he was tackling his apparent death. "If I'm dead," he began asking Hiroaki, "then why do I feel like this?"

"Because you're at peace. The Reaper isn't as frightening as we think he is."

"I suppose not."'

Father and son stood watching the other for a moment, before Hiroaki walked passed Yamato and over to the balcony of their apartment. When he made it there, he turned around to his son, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, Natsuko's favorite brand which he had switched to after the woman had left him. "You want to go out on the balcony for a smoke? You're on the operating table right now, and we can wait it out until the last doctor gives up on trying to save your life."

Yamato said nothing at first, instead having gone back to staring at the peacefully sleeping boy. He raised his hand again, this time not afraid, and Yamato went down on one knee as he finally touched the boy's face and hair. He smiled, astonished that someone so perfect could exist. "What's taking him so long?"

Hiroaki only closed his eyes and took in that scent of lavender and tobacco that had always belonged to his soul mate. He thought for a moment, and prayed to himself that the stubborn doctor who was the last one of his colleagues holding out any hope wouldn't give up. "His name is Kido Jou."

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><p>Live long and prosper, Yamato.<p> 


	46. Gorgeous

This is a fast update because I couldn't help but want to write this next chapter up as fast as I could, so, that's exactly what I did. There's one more of this kind of chapter I have left before I show you guys what happened to Yamato, but you'll know soon enough since the next update after this is something that I also want to do rather quickly. Perhaps a week? Maybe in a few days? I haven't decided yet, but it will be soon enough that you won't notice the difference, I don't think.

Don't own Digimon.

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><p>"Did I ever tell you about how I met your mother, Yamato?" Hiroaki asked after he and his son had shared a few minutes of comfortable silence smoking out there on his balcony as they stared out into the glittering Odaiba nighttime.<p>

It had felt like a long time to Yamato since he had last stood out on a balcony staring out at the lights of a never sleeping city, and in his death, or whatever state he was in since Jou was still desperately trying to save his life, he felt that it was only fitting to be out there in that oddly refreshing Japanese night. He didn't look at his father, only at the lights that danced around the city, and responded with a simple, "No.", since he never actually did know the story before how Natsuko and Hiroaki had gotten together, and honestly didn't care very much. Perhaps this was something that Takeru would have liked since he was a writer in training after all, but to Yamato it felt like an old story from another time in history, a story that maybe didn't have the happiest ending out there.

"You're as talkative as ever," Hiroaki laughed after taking a drag of his cigarette, "it really is a good story, I think. Short, but good."

He weighed his options since Yamato wasn't particularly interested in the story considering how he already knew how it was going to end, how Natsuko would one day leave in the rain and how Hiroaki would one day die in the streets of the red light district, but then he shrugged, figuring that a short enough story wouldn't hurt. If nothing else, it would at least take his mind off the Reaper.

Taking that as his cue to tell the story, Hiroaki began talking. "We met at one of those World War 2 convention things, the kind where soldiers on opposite sides of the War go and make peace with one another. My mother and I were there to accept an award on behalf of my old man who died in the War, and Suko was there with her dad who had done some of the killing. From what I remember Natsuko saying, her father killed fifty of us Japanese," Hiroaki frowned and paused for a moment as he tried to remember if the number was correct, "or was it twenty-five? I can never remember."

As he watched Hiroaki, Yamato only raised an eyebrow in skepticism since he had his doubts that his maternal grandfather was some badass American 'Tojo-hunting' soldier. "Natsuko was Japanese and French, not American."

The older man waved it off. "Ethnically maybe, but her dad is one of those 'gentlemen adventurer' types. French born, but was in America when they started rounding up us Japanese in their internment camps. Became a 'go-for-broke boy' and signed up to fight for the United States."

Yamato was silent for a second as he looked back at the sliding door that led into the inside of his old apartment. What Hiroaki was doing, telling him about how he met his mother, Yamato didn't know what to think once he let it sink in that with Taichi he would never have the opportunity to do the same thing. He had had Atushi, if just for a moment before the doctors realized that something was wrong, but he would never have anyone else.

He frowned, and then turned back and stared out into the never ending Odaiba, all the while wondering if Natsuko and Hiroaki had once watched the same skyline he was looking at as they lied to each other that they would be there forever. "And?"

Taking in another drag, Hiroaki frowned when he remembered what had happened that night in Shimane, when he remembered the screaming and crying, and the promises he made to a young woman. "And? I was disowned when I told my mother I was marrying Suko, an enemy's daughter. From there, we grabbed our two suitcases that held a change of clothes and our most important possessions, and we headed on the first train out of town. We talked about going to Kyoto or Yokohama, but we ended up in Odaiba instead."

"And that's it?" Yamato asked after Hiroaki had stopped talking and had simply began looking at the sky a bit tenderly, that not really sounding like the ending to a story.

Hiroaki wasn't sure, but at the moment he thought he caught a whiff of the faintest smell of cigarettes and perhaps maybe lavender as well. "Natsuko said she agreed to run away with me because she said that I made her hear music. It wasn't until I came here that I finally realized what she meant," he paused and frowned again as that hint of lavender disappeared, "but what about you? Do you have someone who makes you hear music?"

He glanced at his father, not sure what to tell Hiroaki. He didn't need a dead man's approval to live the way that he wanted, even when he was alive Yamato hadn't sought it out, but when he looked away from Hiroaki and leaned on the railing of the balcony, just as he had so many times in both Odaiba and Doyama, he knew that there was only one way that he could answer. "Taichi."

"The Yagami boy, huh?" Hiroaki questioned further as he looked oddly at Yamato for moment.

"Disappointed, Hiroaki?"

The old man simply shook his head. "Proud, Yamato."

It wasn't what Yamato had expected to hear, and he stood up from the railing and looked his father dead in the eye since for a second there he thought he had misheard the man. "Proud?"

Hiroaki flicked his cigarette off the balcony, and took a step towards his son as he rested a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You've grown up to become a person who isn't ashamed of himself and holds his head up high. That alone makes you a better man than I ever was. For the little that it's worth, you have my blessing, Son."

Yamato looked back at his father skeptically, not quite recognizing the man that was standing before him. "Just like that?"

"There is one thing I'd like in return."

"What?"

Hiroaki cleared his throat, not knowing if it was right asking for it. "Forgiveness."

Had he been asked earlier if he was willing to forgive Hiroaki for everything the man had put him and Takeru through growing up, Yamato would have answered that it would have taken a cold day in Hell for that to have happened. This was different however, this was a different man than the one who had died years ago, and it was the man who had watched over Atushi when Yamato hadn't been able to. Forgiveness was maybe something that would have been good, if not his father's sake, then for his son's.

He still felt bitterness though, and anger at the face that was staring back at him, so Yamato only answered honestly. "I want to forgive you, Hiroaki, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for that, considering everything."

Once more, Hiroaki just shook his head. "Not for me, for your mother."

It was something that Yamato didn't know how to answer to, surprised that even after all this time Hiroaki was watching out for the woman who had once been his wife. He had never known exactly how he felt about the woman who gave him birth, at times thankful that she had gotten away from Hiroaki and at others angry that she had not taken at least Takeru with her. And that was the thing about Natsuko and Hiroaki that had always set them apart. For all his savageness, for all the hatred that Yamato had once felt for the man, at least Hiroaki had never abandoned his children.

"I don't know if I can."

Hiroaki let out an understanding sigh, and took his hand off of Yamato's shoulder. After a moment though, he remembered something and turned around and quietly headed back inside his apartment. After a minute or two he came back out with two cans of beer in hand, and handed one to his son.

Hiroaki opened his and looked out towards Odaiba as he raised his can of beer in the air, the scent of cigarettes and lavender coming back at that moment. "It's a beautiful night, Yamato."

Yamato smiled as he opened his own can, and like his father looked towards the city. He had often heard Takeru complain that one of the few bad things about Odaiba were the lack of stars, but watching the lights of the precious city that was once his own, Yamato thought that this was better.

He raised his own can, and for a moment caught the familiar smell of home. "Gorgeous."

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><p>I read it once that the most memorable sense that human beings have isn't actually sight or taste or even touch, but instead is smell. I've had my doubts about that fact since I'm not sure about the science behind it and since I've never actually had the chance to test it out for myself, but I decided to incorporate this.<p>

About this afterlife that I'm showing, I actually got the idea from another story of mine for Adventure Time called _**Psychopomp**_ where Betty, after she dies from nuclear bombs during the Great Mushroom War, is guided through the afterlife by Death, and through the friendship they develop as they travel, through the peace she finds when she learns that dying isn't something to be afraid of, comes out a stronger person for it. Since Digimon is my main fandom and since this story is the main one I've been working on for a while now, I figured that it'd be okay to take that idea and apply it to this.

Also, if you don't know who the 'go-for-broke boys' were, they were a group of Japanese Americans who were rounded up into the internment camps after Japan and America declared war on each other, and given the chance to prove their loyalty to fight for the United States in the Second Great War. As a group they became the most decorated military division in American history and last I remember they were awarded with 21 Medals of Honor, and the boys were respected and honored for the courage and valor that they showed in fighting for their country.

A history professor I once had recounted a tale of a 'go-for-broke' boy that he once knew, about how around the time of WW2, a group of boys were in the notoriously racist Deep South going into a diner to eat at the colored section, and how when the boys went over to go to the colored restroom they were stopped by other patrons and the owner of the diner. In a moment that I would describe as both heartwarming and oddly racist, the people told the boys to use the white section of the restaurant because they 'weren't colored'.


	47. Farewell

Before we get into today's update I just want to thank all the people who have been reading, and especially to the people who have been reviewing since it is always fun to see your opinions and to chat with you, because we've past the 250 review mark! We did so two updates ago I think, but I forgot to say anything. Anyways, I'm grateful.

If you're surprised to have seen so many updates recently you can thank two things, first my enthusiasm for the 'limbo' arc as I'll call it, and also for the new Kings of Leon album that came out which I've been listening to non-stop. The music gives me the feels and makes me want to write stuff like this, which I'm actually currently listening to 'Last Mile Home' by them.

Disclaimer: Digimon is not mine.

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><p>Spending the week with Atushi was one of the most fun times that Yamato had ever had in his life, or death as the case may be. He never expected to have fun dressing up in elaborate costumes to be 'slain' by the hero who Atushi demanded playing as, he never expected to actually find the different breakfasts his son made for him to be tasty in all their burnt and crusted glory, but it was a way of living something that he never could out there in Japan, and during the week whenever Atushi had gone to bed Yamato had wondered if this was what life would have been like had the boy not died in that hospital that night years ago.<p>

Would he still be with Jun as they played mommy and daddy to a wonderful little person who had popped into existence? Would he be in Odaiba trying to make a living supporting his child and the woman he had once be in love with? Would he still be in love with Jun? Would he have never acted on the affection he had once been afraid to show Taichi?

They were questions his mind drifted to in the week he had spent with Hiroaki and Atushi whenever either one of them were busy, but at moments like the current one, a moment where he and his family were eating knock-off chocolate puffs cereal, the one that came out of the box with the shoddily drawn alligator on it, they were questions he didn't think about. Mostly he had just watched the boy, grinning ear to ear like at the current sight where Atushi was eating his cereal right beside him, dressed in his underwear and superhero cape.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Yamato asked, hoping that they would do something fun again like how yesterday they had all gone to watch a baseball game, and later how they had finished the night watching illegal, for the living anyways, fireworks that Hiroaki had bought lighting up the sky.

It was more then just about things that were fun for Yamato though, because the entire time that he had been in the land of the dead, he couldn't think of any other way to describe it, he had felt a sense of peace. The struggles of the real world, the shame and fear and hatred that human beings had for one another, since he had been with Hiroaki and Atushi it all seemed like a distant and fading dream. However, as he watched his father and son, as he watched Atushi send Hiroaki a hopeful look only for Hiroaki to shake his head, Yamato knew that something was wrong.

Slowly, reluctantly, Hiroaki set his spoon down into his cereal, Atushi following his lead, and then the two of them sat up from the dining table and walked over to the entrance of their apartment. Hiroaki hugged the little boy from behind, and sighed since he wished that he had had more time. "Today? We see you off."

Yamato set his own spoon down into his bowl, but he didn't stand up. "What are you talking about?"

With his head, Hiroaki motioned to the front door. "Jou saved your life. It's time for you to go back, Son."

He still didn't stand up, and just watched his expectantly waiting relatives as he sat there quietly. He had forgotten about the fact that Jou had tried saving his life that week ago when he died, and Yamato was sure that his friend had failed due to how long he had been dead. "What do you mean? It's been an entire week."

"A week in here maybe," Hiroaki shrugged, "but out there it's only been about thirty seconds."

"That doesn't make any sense."

This time, it was Atushi who spoke. "God doesn't have to."

Standing up, Yamato joined Atushi and Hiroaki, and began staring at the front door of the apartment that apparently led to the living world. He took a single step towards the door, but then froze as he realized something in the time he had spent with his father, but especially with his son. "I don't think I want to go back."

Hiroaki just sighed as he rested a hand on his son's shoulder. "Yamato, you have to go home."

"This is my home."

"Hopefully, not for a very long time." the older man said after a moment of silence as he rubbed his son's shoulder comfortingly.

He didn't know when it had started happening, but after a minute or two of just staring at the front door, Yamato felt tears rolling down his face. He pulled away from Hiroaki and turned back to face the two of them, all the while trying to wipe away the tears to no avail. "Please don't send me away."

Hiroaki opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it since he figured that nothing he could say would be sufficient. Atushi though, he watched as his father cried, and smiled as he stepped away from Hiroaki to grab Yamato by the arm. "When you see her, can you tell momma that I love her?"'

Yamato froze for a moment, before he pulled the boy in for a hug. He closed his eyes since he knew that this would be the last time he would ever be able to hold his boy, and spoke softly to the child. "When I see her?"

Atushi nodded as he hugged his father back. "When you see her." the boy confirmed.

He held the boy closely for a few more minutes, completely silent with the exception of the occasional 'I love you' thrown in. He didn't let go until Hiroaki rested a hand on his shoulder again, and when Yamato looked up to see that Hiroaki was staring at the front door. He wiped his tears again, and ruffled Atushi's hair one last time, before almost on instinct he began walking towards the front door.

Hiroaki smiled at the sight of his son going home, and called out a final goodbye when he saw Yamato's hand grab onto the doorknob. "Live long and prosper, Yamato."

Before he walked out the door, Yamato turned around to see his father for the last time, and to send the man a two-fingered salute. "Stay the course, Hiroaki."

His eyes lingered for a moment on his father and son, before he smiled and opened the front door. What he saw waiting on the other side wasn't the hallway that he had once stood in, but instead simply a blinding and yet calming light. He walked towards the light slowly as he closed the door behind him, and the last thing he heard was Hiroaki's voice surrounding him.

_"You are going to do great things in the world, Yamato. I love you, my son."_

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><p>We're heading back to Japan from now on, but Taichi was right when he said that he felt something was ending.<p>

I was tempted to name this chapter 'Home', but I'm saving that for something else.

Farewell.


	48. Viva La Vida

I very much liked writing the limbo arc and I'm actually not sure if I can top it any time soon. I wanted to actually go in depth about what Yamato, Hiroaki, and Atushi did that week together, but in the end I figured that that would have taken too much time. The previous chapter to this one is something that I'm very proud of, some of you guys saying that you had 'the feels' humbling me greatly, and I hope that this chapter was a good enough follow up.

Disclaimer: Out of tradition, don't own Digimon.

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><p>When he awoke from surgery it wasn't how all those movies and TV shows out there had always made Yamato assume that it would be like were he ever to be placed in that exact situation. Before his momentary death he expected waking up from surgery to be nothing more than a flutter of his eyes followed by being greeted by loved ones as they cried with him and told him how grateful they were that he was alive, and for him to never scare them like that again. Instead, he greeted life like a fuzzy dream, things not exactly being so clear those first few hours of being awake despite the doctors and nurses asking him to get some rest. There wasn't anyone waiting for him in his room either, only family members were allowed to see him and despite the love he had for them, and demands that they get to see him, apparently Taichi, Jun, and all the others weren't his family. Yamato had greeted life in that sterile and buzzing hospital room in a way that had always been familiar to him as he had grown up in the red light district of Odaiba, alone.<p>

He had more of his bearings though, instead of the automatic nods or shakes of his head that he had given the nurses and doctors when he came to, or the simple half word of a greeting he gave Jou when the young doctor went to check up on him after the surgery. Beyond that he hadn't said much to anyone else though, but that didn't mean that he hadn't been listening either. On top of the fact that according to two of the gossiping nurses that had been comfortable chatting in front of him when they thought that he was still too drugged up to understand, not only did Jou save his life, but apparently a handsome young man with wild brown hair had tried barging his way to his room before being escorted out of the hospital each time by security.

It was true that Yamato was alone at the moment, not even any nurses hovering around him once it was decided that he was stable, but it was good to know that at least Taichi had tried to force his way to see him back when he was declared to be in unfit condition to see anyone. He wasn't sure how many attempts that Taichi had made, though he doubted that any of them had the least bit of subtelty considering the kind of person that Taichi was, but hey, Yamato figured, it was the thought that counted even though he didn't exactly get to see him. He didn't think much more on it though, because it was then that the buzzing of his hospital room had the short momentary interruption of his door being opened.

Yamato turned to look and then saw the backside of a doctor he didn't think he recognized slowly back more and more into his room, keeping his focus on the door to the hallway for some reason, as if someone was going to barge in at any second. When the doctor turned around however, when Yamato vaguely recognized who it was despite the glasses and the extremely short brown hair, he laughed for the first time since he had been brought back from the brink of oblivion. He said nothing more though, Yamato thinking that perhaps words would have spoiled the moment.

The not quite doctor laughed as well, joy being written all over his face at being able to see that the patient was indeed okay just as the nurses had told him hours ago when he still had most of his hair. It wasn't that Taichi hadn't believed them, but to see Yamato with his own eyes, to see him laugh after he had almost been taken in the exact same manner that Hiroaki had died, there was something gorgeous about that.

Yamato remembered that before he had gone out to buy those cigarettes, that Taichi had told him that he felt as if something was ending, and even though Yamato wasn't exactly sure what the young man had meant by that, there was a part of him that was telling him that perhaps it was right for him to think the same thing. His life had almost ended for one, from that bullet that had taken one of his kidneys, but maybe that was just coincidence? Perhaps something else was ending that Yamato wasn't quite sure what it was as he tried his best to sit up in that hospital bed of his, but perhaps a storm was coming.

He didn't know if he could change that end when and if it came, depending on what it was he didn't know if he would even want to, but as he saw Taichi standing above him after he made his way across the room, as he watched his companion stare down at him with eyes that shined with tears and awe, Yamato let himself think that maybe an end could be a good thing, and that with that end there could be a new beginning.

Taichi reached out slowly to touch his face, Yamato nodded once to tell Taichi that everything was okay, and it was then that the brunet removed Jou's extra pair of glasses that he had borrowed to blend in better, and tucked it into the front pocket of his doctor's jacket. The fake doctor took that moment to grin even bigger than when they had first told him that Yamato had survived, despite the fact that he had lost an organ, and after making sure that he didn't accidentally pull out any of the tubes or wires that were sticking out of Yamato, he sat down in a nearby chair that had probably been used by a nurse hours earlier.

Yamato watched as Taichi gave him another hesitant look, running his hand through his now mostly gone hair that he had cut in his ridiculous scheme to impersonate a doctor, and nodded once more while he sat up, albeit with some pain and some slight discomfort. With permission, Taichi reached out and grabbed onto his hand, and Yamato couldn't help but smile at that.

He was alive.

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><p>Picture epilogue Taichi for the hair look I'm thinking of. No worries, I'm sad to see it go as well.<p> 


	49. Brotherhood

Something that I noticed about this story is that while it is marked a Yamato/Taichi story and most of the chapters do indeed deal with that, there are also a good number of chapters that deal solely with Yamato's thoughts and his own interpersonal relationships with people other than Taichi.

Anyways, out of that random note I will say that the story will soon head back to going into its slice of life style since these last few chapters I felt, while being a pleasure to write, drifted away from the slice of life style into a more structured arc. Not to say that that's bad or anything since I have another short arc planned way down the road, but just pointing it out.

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon, out of tradition.

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><p>It didn't hurt as much to move around as it had before, but Yamato still felt a bit of pain as he walked around the hospital grabbing onto the pole that his portable IV was mounted on. He still had quite a bit of discomfort, as one would expect would come with losing a kidney, but he trudged along more and more everyday.<p>

He was alive because of Jou's medical skill and his ironclad determination, according to Sora's hushed and awed wisps, when Jou had rushed to work on him the young doctor had a fire in his eyes that she had never seen before, and Yamato remained thankful for the doctor being in his life even when the doctor simply waved it off as doing his job. Yamato though knew that, even if he wouldn't say it out loud for Jou's sake since the somewhat awkward man had always been the type to make precautions to avoid being the center of attention, that everything that Jou had done for him, every action that proved that they were friends despite not having very much in common to be honest, that was the reason that he was still alive, and why Jou hadn't given up when the rest of the doctors wanted to declare him dead.

"So," the voice of a familiar teenager interrupted his thoughts as they walked without destination through the hospital since Yamato had grown sick of lying in bed during his stint there, "are you really okay? I mean, you lost an organ and all."

Yamato laughed at his brother's words for despite the fact that he apparently wanted to be a writer now, and according to Hikari and her starry in love eyes Takeru was quite good at evoking an emotional response within a person with words that he typed into his laptop, the kid didn't have as much tact as one would expect.

"I don't know if okay is the right word to use," he admitted since he had not once that he could remember ever lied to his baby brother, not even about how hard the different situations they faced in the past had been, "but I'm not going to be dying any time soon if that's what you're worried about."

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Takeru's face which had become harder to read over the years since Yamato had left the home that the Yagamis had offered after they were orphaned, or whatever the term was when one parent was dead and the other abandoned them to run off and start a nationally beloved talk show. The teenager's face was hard, though no amount of hardship or quiet sadness could ever take away the boyish softness that Takeru's face had always held, and Yamato could tell just with a momentary glance that something was ticking over and over in his little brother's mind. Despite the life they had, despite the years they had spent scurrying as rats in the Red Light district, Takeru had always found a way to enjoy life, no matter how bleak. Yamato decided to let Takeru bring up what was troubling him on his own time, but he had seen it the very moment that Yuuko and the three musketeers of Takeru, Hikari, and Daisuke had walked into his hospital room bearing gifts.

Takeru suddenly stopped walking, and then turned to look out of the window that they had been strolling by. Even in the hospital it was cold that day, no doubt due in some small part to the fact that it was raining, and he mulled over his older brother's words as he thought on the fact that only just recently he had been moments away from being alone in the world, from not having any more blood relatives that loved him.

The teenager considered resting his hand on the cold glass of the hospital's window, but discarded the idea as being too cliché for his taste. Instead he just gave a sigh and listened to the different strangers facing different tragedies in the background noise of the hospital that afternoon as he waited for his older brother to join him at his side.

"What I mean," Takeru tried to clarify as Yamato too walked to the hospital window and began to stare outwards at the city life that Osaka had to give, "from here, what kind of life is up ahead? Without one of your kidneys and all."

His response wasn't immediate as Yamato tried to figure out what to say, because at the end of it all that was actually a legitimate concern and something that Yamato had forced himself to try not to worry about. He had spent most of his life embracing the freedom of the world, and the thought of spending the rest of it hooked up to a machine in a hospital felt so artificial, so dehumanizing.

"I have an increased chance for diabetes and the increased possibility of suffering a stroke, and I may need dialysis or a transplant in the future way down the line," he admitted since Yamato refused to begin lying to his brother even now, "but if you expect something like getting shot to take me out you obviously don't know how much of a badass I am."

He laughed to make his joke come off as more believable to Takeru, though a part of him knew that he had said it more to convince himself than anything else, but his forced jokey demeanor became a more solemn one when he saw that Takeru hadn't laughed, and just continued staring out that hospital window, just kept staring out at the rain.

"I don't want you to die, Yamato." the teenager admitted after a moment of silence, tears brimming at his eyes.

Yamato only rested a hand on Takeru's shoulder. "We all die, little brother."

Nothing more would be said until the two of them returned to Yamato's hospital room where everyone else was waiting for them, and they stood side by side in silence as they watched the rain together. For the first time since the shooting Yamato held his head up high. He would be strong for Takeru's sake, just as he had always been.

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><p>Sons of Anarchy is getting more and more tense as the series goes on.<p>

Any who, time for some advertising!

There is a story out there by an author aptly named **bed of nails and sandpaper**, and I really do feel the need to let what readers I have know about this story that he(?) has written. The story is one of my all time favorites on this site, truly it is, and it is called **_Apfel_**. It is a Yamato/Taichi story set in the cobblestone streets of London, told from Yamato's point of view, and it so far has been a truly gritty and fascinating experience for me to read. I do have to give a fair warning about _**Apfel **_though, and admit that it is something that is graphic and wonderfully dark, and you do get a feeling as if these chapters belong in: A Clockwork Orange, The Outsiders, or The Warriors. _**Apfel**_ is something that I feel puts this story of mine to shame if I have to be honest, so yeah, check it out!


	50. Sketch

This is the last hospital chapter, and from here we can go calmly back into slice of life mode. I had fun with this. Next chapter is one that I think we'll all have fun with now that I think about it. Nothing dramatic or broody next chapter, just a simple date between our two heroes. They need a break, don't you think?

Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Bandai?

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><p>It was his last day in the hospital, Jou himself clearing him that he would be good to go home as long as he took the prescriptions that he needed for the transition period to living the rest of his life with one kidney instead of two, and Yamato drew in his sketchbook as he listened to the buzzing in the background of some soap opera that was being shown on the TV in his room, and as Jun and Taichi were debating who would win in a fight to the death between Anne Frank and Helen Keller. It was a rather ridiculous conversation to be honest, but hey, the quirks of Jun and Taichi usually turned out to be one of the few things that brightened up an otherwise dreary life he would have lived. It was fun though when the two loves of his life argued the way they currently were, whether it was about hypothetical death matches between Helen Keller and Anne Frank, or instead a hypothetical death match between Gandhi and Josef Stalin, Yamato always found himself enjoying whenever Taichi or Jun tried desperately to come up with evidence to support whatever insane theories that they had.<p>

As he stayed resting in his hospital bed, Jun and Taichi sitting off to the side as their words volleyed back and forth about the two girls in question, Yamato remained quiet and simply continued to sketch. It wasn't that he was necessarily good at sketching, though his doodles weren't bad if he had to say so himself, but the leather bound sketchbook was one of the gifts that Yuuko had brought on her visit, and so he wanted to make use of it. Susumu had been on an overseas business meeting for his company at the time of the shooting, and it was Yuuko who had visited two weeks prior with the younger trio to express their relief that Yamato had lived, and for her to reassure him that she kept certain details of what happened, such as the shooting going down in the streets of the very gay Doyama, a secret from the Yagami patriarch.

As Jun exclaimed the fact that as a person who lacked most of her senses that Helen Keller had the killing power of the proverbial blind samurai, Yamato doodled a hot dog that was waving hello and saying 'Hiya!', as he thought on what Yuuko was doing for Taichi and himself. She was keeping the location of his injury a secret so that Susumu wouldn't know that he and Taichi weren't living with their 'girlfriends' of Sora and Jun out in mainstream Osaka, but instead were together in a gay district, as young men who loved one another. He was grateful for Yuuko, the woman being the closest thing to a mother that he had ever had, but a part of him just wanted to tell Susumu the truth about everything, to stop the charade of everything they had ever done to further the secret and just come straight out with it to say it. It was something inside of him that he had never wanted to hide from Susumu in the first place, and a thing that whirled around wanting to show the man the proud truth, but Yamato knew that in the end that this part of him would lose out, because in the end he had long ago decided that the situation with Susumu, the knowledge he would be given about this world of theirs, it rested on Taichi's decision, not his.

He doodled a few more things in his sketchbook beside the hot dog, like a beagle that was wearing a top hat and a wolf that was fiercely running across the page, before a knock on the door caused himself and his two companions to look over at who it was that had let themselves in. It was his doctor Jou of course, but there was also an older man who was accompanying the young doctor who Yamato knew to be the Chief of Medicine at the Osaka hospital. He was a jovial sort of man, a Japanese Santa Claus would be a good way to describe him, and Yamato recalled meeting him a handful of times during his stay there. To the little discomfort that he felt considering that most of the pain from his lost kidney was now gone, Yamato sat up straighter in his bed to give a better impression, since this was Jou's boss after all.

"How are you doing today, Ishida-san?" the Chief of Medicine practically ho-ho-ho'd as he gave Yamato his weekly greeting during Jou's rounds that the man had made a point to be present for, apparently having a lot of hope for Jou being one of the hospital's next great doctors.

Yamato smiled at the older man for showing his concern, though it was a bummer that Jun and Taichi had stopped their debate when the Chief had joined them in their room. He considered making a joke about a pain in his side, but figured that perhaps that could be something that the doctors and nurses would make a point to check him for. Instead, Yamato figured he'd poke fun at a very real different pain that came with a stay in a hospital.

"I'm doing okay, Sir," Yamato nodded to himself in confirmation as he continued on, "except I just realized that since this is my last day here, that you'll probably send me the bill for it when I get back home. I mean, I know the government pays for most of it, but I'm still not looking forward to it when I get the bill in the mail."

The Chief laughed for a moment, before the man remembered something and frowned. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, Ishida-san. Your hospital bills have already been paid off."

Yamato shared glances with Taichi and Jun, before turning back to the Chief. "What are you talking about?"

"Your hospital bills have already been paid off," the man repeated, "all in one check."

Closing his sketchbook, Yamato gripped onto it as a bad feeling entered his chest. "By who?"

He watched as the Chief whispered something to Jou, and as Jou began to fumble with the papers in his hand as he looked through for the answer. It took a few minutes, but the name Jou read off made Yamato feel sick to his stomach. "Takaishi Natsuko."

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><p>"A storm is coming, Mr. Wayne."<p>

Man, that movie sucked.

Anyways, we are officially halfway done!


	51. Simplicity

I just realized that less than half of this story is left. Bummer.

Disclaimer: Out of tradition, don't own Digimon.

I've been thinking of just dropping the disclaimer. Except maybe at the beginning of new stories?

Anyways, I've been toying with an idea for the 'Home' 'verse as I call it, about maybe doing a story showing Taichi's POV as he and Yamato and Jun went through high school? Particularly interesting to me would be that whole pregnancy thing.

Just a thought though.

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><p>Even though it had been two weeks since he had been released from the hospital, and even though those around him were indeed curious about it even if they knew better than to ask, Yamato had said nothing about the familiar woman named Takaishi Natsuko. His mother, though he used that term loosely, had somehow found out about the shooting and had paid for his hospital bills, which Yamato was grateful for, but he hadn't said a single word more about it ever since Jou revealed the information to him. It would have been a lie to say that he didn't have questions about it, but in his mind, in his heart that still hurt from the memory of watching Natsuko walk away never to come back, he felt that the woman had made her choice about being in his life ages ago.<p>

"She was cute, don't you think?" Taichi asked him as they continued to walk down the streets of Osaka, and as his thoughts drifted away from Natsuko, even though Yamato knew that eventually they would return to the woman.

Yamato thought for a moment on who Taichi could have been talking about, honestly it was abrupt and came out of nowhere, and part of him figured that Taichi had probably brought it up because he was starting to get into one of his more contemplative phases. He actually laughed though when it hit him that the person who Taichi was talking about was the waitress at the restaurant where they had just had dinner. The whole night she had spoken to them all flustered and starry eyed, giving them appetizers on the house for being such good customers apparently, and neither of them had known why until the waitress had slipped him her phone number, and had watched them while clutching her chest as they walked out of the restaurant.

He chuckled at the thought that this young woman had no idea that the two men she was serving earlier had been an item, but she seemed sweet enough to the point where Yamato hoped that she would eventually find her Prince Charming, because it wasn't anything new for the Ishida brothers to have people fall in love with them at the drop of a hat. "She isn't my type, but maybe I should give her number to Koushiro? The dude needs to get laid already."

Beside him, Taichi shrugged, not quite believing that the lovestruck waitress would appreciate Yamato passing her off to his buddy. Either way, the brunet didn't think that Koushiro would even want the girl's number if he had to be frank. "I'm pretty sure he's already tapping Mimi, so yeah I don't think he needs that number."

Yamato scratched his head for a second, never once having considered the possibility that Koushiro and Mimi would ever get together. "Are you sure? I mean, the guy told me that he was in love with Jun."

"And how long ago was that?" Taichi replied as the two of them split away for a second, making room for a businessman that was walking very purposefully. "Think about it." he started again once the businessman had passed them, "The chick left the United States to come over and live with him in another country, and to try to get him to be more mentally better, considering the whole hearing voices thing."

It was something to think about at least, but Yamato only sighed and didn't say anything more about the subject, figuring that no matter how all of that mess turned out, it would all unravel soon enough. They continued to walk in silence, which was almost never uncomfortable for them, as they made their way to the movie theater since it was in fact date night, and at least in a movie theater they would be able to hold hands there in the hetero part of Osaka that they were in for the night. He didn't quite remember whose idea a date night was, but it was a nice field trip away from the rest of the world, even if it didn't completely distract him from the thoughts that wouldn't stop swirling around in his mind.

It took a few minutes for it to happen, which in those minutes Yamato remembered the sight of serene rain that he would later grow to hate, and the familiar smell of cigarettes and lavender that faded away more and more as time went on, but Taichi purposefully bumped into him as they walked the sidewalk, voice losing that spark of laughter that had illuminated their date so far. "Are you okay, Yamato? Right now you're kind of supposed to be happy."

Taichi had delivered the words with a smile to try and prod him away from whatever it was that was haunting his mind, but Yamato could only frown at that. The night was supposed to be something jovial, jolly even, and he was ruining it with his usual doom and gloom. "I'm just thinking about things right now."

"About Natsuko?" the young Yagami man prodded, knowing that the woman was a ghost of Yamato's past that he had to address eventually.

"Yeah," he replied honestly before he stopped walking, and before Taichi did as well. He took the moment to look around the city, at all the different couples who walked hand in hand with each other, and the businessmen who were headed home after a long day at work. It was a familiar scene of unfamiliar people, and Yamato realized that Osaka was a whole different world that he had traveled to years ago to go and be with Taichi, but that it was a world that he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to be a part of anymore, "but about other things as well."

"Like?"

"I don't think I can stay in Doyama anymore."

He hadn't realized what he was saying until he had already said it, but the moment that it came out, the moment the words drifted out of his mouth and sailed into the city that he had never truly embraced, he knew that they were true. His frown worsened at the thought that he had ruined the date beyond repair with those words, but it disappeared the moment he heard what Taichi said next.

"So," Taichi responded with the famous understanding tone that every Yagami had, "where are we headed next then?"

He turned from looking around the city back towards Taichi, "What are you talking about?"

Taichi shrugged once more, nonchalantly speaking as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and perhaps, perhaps to him it was. "If you can't stay in this city, then neither can I. Your home is my home, Yamato. Simple as that."

He raised an eyebrow, unsure of whether or not he should be skeptical. "Simple as that?"

Taichi said nothing at first, but the young man's eyes softened after a moment. The brunet took a deep breath, and Yamato's eyes widened when he saw Taichi hold his shaky hand out, prepared for the first time ever to hold his hand outside of a gay district. "Simple as that."

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><p>There are moments when you realize that perhaps it's time to move on...<p> 


	52. Perfect

Wow, it's been two whole weeks since I've updated this? Yeah, this needed another chapter here tonight.

It's been a while since we've had some Sora love, eh?

Disclaimer: Bleh.

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><p>As he walked out onto the balcony of their apartment, as he met with the Japan wind that was just as cold as he expected it would be, Yamato zipped up his jacket and walked over to stand at Sora's side. He had made sure to close the sliding glass door that led back inside because otherwise Jun would probably hound him about letting in the cold once he headed back inside, but it was a thought that he pushed away for the moment as he began to look up at the sky that Sora seemed so intent to stare at. She wasn't wearing a jacket, her breath created little clouds of vapor when it connected with the cold air that always found a home in Japan around midnight, but surprisingly enough to Yamato, the young woman hadn't even shivered as far as he could tell. She only stood there quietly, like he himself had so many different times in so many different parts of Japan, and the only thing that moved of hers were her eyes as they darted to different parts of the sky, perhaps as if she was maybe looking for stars.<p>

She hadn't said much at all ever since he and Taichi had told her and Jun that Doyama didn't feel like home anymore, and Yamato wasn't quite able to gauge how Sora was feeling. He doubted she was angry, the young woman had always been someone who liked to look on the sunnier side of things, but there was a part of him that was telling Yamato that maybe Sora was feeling disappointed, or possibly even hurt, instead. As he stared on at the nearly empty sky, he considered maybe dropping the tact he usually tried to carry so that he could simply ask Sora what was wrong, but as he watched the sky that was mostly void with the exception of a blinking satellite that was trudging along obliviously, he toyed around with the thought that maybe nothing was even wrong with the world, or more importantly, with Sora.

"It's cold out tonight," he said to no one in particular, it sounding more like a disinterested musing than anything else.

Things were silent for a minute or so, with the exception of the wind that howled like a mighty beast in the Japanese night, before Sora finally agreed with him, not sounding disinterested exactly, but instead sounding as if the frigid night was simply the way that the world was supposed to be. "It is cold," she admitted, though none of her body language showed that she even felt it in the slightest.

Sora usually wasn't as quiet as she was being at the moment, though by no means was she ever as rambunctious or wild as either Taichi or Jun could be. Because of the way that she held herself, Sora had always been a difficult person to read, especially when it came to trying to figure out what exactly the young woman wanted from the world, but it didn't mean that Yamato couldn't try. He looked at Sora out of the corner of his eye and sighed, considering that he had never exactly been good when it came to trying to deal with people or their emotions.

The people around him were much more useful when it came to that regard, like young Hikari who had found herself a place in the hearts of nearly everyone she had ever met due to the way that she lived her life with a sincerely sweet attitude that she showed to all of those around her. She, and even Daisuke had it easier when it came to trying to relate to people, because even though there were a number of people that viewed him as a delinquent, and even though there were times that Daisuke proved their points, the young teenager had gained the respect of the people he knew over the years with the way that no matter what, no matter the consequences, that he always ended up doing the right thing when the moment came that it mattered the most. His own baby brother was even more well-adjusted in that manner than he was, young Takeru obliviously charming the hearts of so many people with his carefree smile and the good soul that he had.

It was something that troubled Yamato at times, it was the reason that beyond Taichi and Jun he had never really made any real friends as a boy or as a teenager, but as he continued to subtly watch Sora, he knew that he had to try something anyways. He wouldn't have thought it when they had first met, but Sora was someone who was worth going out on a limb for.

"If something's wrong," Yamato dropped all pretense of tact as he turned away from looking outwards on the balcony and began to fully face Sora, "we're here for you."

Sora laughed a single time and shook her head as she looked away from the sky, having always been amused by the antics of the people that had randomly stepped into her life one moment, and from then on had each went on to give it much more meaning. "Nothing is wrong, Yamato. If I have to be honest, things are kind of perfect right now."

He arched an eyebrow at her, the way she had been looking at the sky not seeming like the way that a person with a perfect life would look at it. "If there is something wrong, you can tell us, tell me. Family looks out for one another, you know?"

Sora smiled at the way that Yamato had called her part of his family because coming from him that was something that meant a lot, considering the fact that Yamato had a very different definition of the word than most other people had. Instead of immediately answering him though, she turned to look at the sky once more. Her grin only grew from there. "I'm pregnant."

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><p>This was actually a total surprise to me as well. When writing I was like, "What the crap am I going to do? Where the hell am I going with it?" Before my fingers kind of typed that last part by themselves, and I was like, "Damn, I guess that's pretty righteous."<p> 


	53. Golden Linings

Everyone, I would just like to start off this update thanking anyone who has ever clicked on my story and enjoyed even just a sentence of it, and you guys really make me rub the back of my neck in happy embarrassment. Thank you to everyone who reads this whenever I update, and an even bigger thank you to those who figure that they like to leave feedback, but no worries since I love all you guys. Because of you I've reached the ffnet milestone of having one of my stories join the 300+ club when it comes to the review count. I write this story for myself, but I'd be lying if I said that the feedback didn't help to motivate me.

Anyways, concerning the story I think this very well may be my favorite chapter yet. That, or it's at least in the top five or so.

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><p>It wasn't unusual for the two of them to sit in silence, in fact, it was more the norm than anything else, but the current quietness between the two wasn't the same muted charm that they had embraced when they had grown up together. Instead, it was something that was much more unnatural than one would have thought, more clunky than what could normally be expected from the two young men. As was anticipated, Yamato didn't say a word, but the surprising thing about everything was that Taichi of all people was being just as silent at the moment.<p>

He took a sip of his water, his and Sora's being the only glasses that didn't contain alcohol, and he stared down at the people that were walking around like ants that night, watching them from the view of Kido Jou's balcony. It was a more subdued party that was going on inside the apartment than he would have thought considering that Sora's apparently perfect pregnancy was being celebrated, but he didn't pay it much mind and just continued watching as the people below him were completely unaware that there was someone studying them from on high in the sky, not knowing a single thing about them, yet still being fascinating by whatever lives they would go on to live that night and that night only. As his eyes landed on a lonely looking woman for a moment, Yamato wondered if the same applied to him, if perhaps someone he didn't know was there was watching him, hoping that his life would land in a happier place.

The cold air and the lonely woman reminded him of a poem that he heard his little brother quote more than once, apparently the poem was of significance to someone who was very dear to him, and it was something about an astronomer and perfect silence. He never could remember the words, Takeru had always been more of a literature nut than he ever was, but Yamato did remember that the poem had affected him, had made him give a bittersweet laugh when he heard it. He couldn't laugh now though, couldn't smile even if they were there to celebrate a happy occasion.

He didn't want to acknowledge it, but Yamato didn't think that he could ever truly smile about Sora's pregnancy, no matter how excited the young redhead was that she and Jou were having a baby together. He had felt glad for her from the moment that she told him the news, glad that she had found the next step in her life that she was going to take, but something had stirred inside him that night as he and Sora stared out at the dark sky with one another that told him that no matter how happy about it he wanted to be, no matter how quietly content Sora was about the whole situation, that he couldn't be as gun-ho about it as everyone else had seemed to be. It had been a mystery to him until just a few hours ago, but the moment that he saw Jun tearfully congratulate Sora, his ex-girlfriend's eyes losing that signature sparkle that he had always seen in them, he knew that the reason why he couldn't smile as much as he wanted to was because of the small casket that was buried beside his father.

"The food was good," Taichi said at last, breaking the silence, "we should celebrate things more often, don't you think?"

Yamato couldn't help but snort at that one, wondering what on Earth they could celebrate that had happened recently. Would they celebrate the recent shooting that had nearly killed him and had taken one of his kidneys? Would they celebrate the fact that his now famous mother had randomly paid for his hospital bills without even calling or leaving a note, years after she had abandoned her family? True, there were golden linings to it all, as Takeru was always fond of calling them, but it didn't take away from the pain that he faced from each and every single challenge that he had charged in the last month and a half.

He continued to stare on at the woman who was standing like an ant down at the entrance of Jou's apartment building, a woman who looked as lonely as the air was cold that night, and Yamato sighed and shook his head for a moment when he looked away from her and met eyes with Taichi, deciding that very moment to talk earnestly with him. "Honestly, I don't think that there are a lot of things in my life that are worth celebrating."

For a moment Taichi looked like he was about to protest before he too sighed and just stared out into the city of Osaka, sipping his champagne but not really looking like he was enjoying it. Yamato frowned when he saw that and realized that he was being sort of a buzz kill because he doubted that Taichi was the only one who had noticed his attitude that night, but then the frown disappeared as he began to remember something that his brother had recited time and again back when they lived together, one of Takeru's famous golden linings from whatever piece of classic literature that the kid had drawn into his soul that week.

"The Gods envy us." Yamato began as he garnered Taichi's attention once again, "They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last." he paused for a second as he tried to remember the words since it had been a while since the last time that Takeru had recited them, but nonetheless, the words were just as true about the world as Yamato remembered them being every time that he had heard them. "Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again."

It took a moment, but the two young men both finally smiled and raised their glasses to toast one another. They were doomed, and that more than anything was worth celebration.

* * *

><p>The poem reference from earlier was to a Walt Whitman poem called '<strong><em>When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer<em>**', but the quote at the end is from **_The Iliad_** by Homer, also used in **_Troy_**. I feel it kind of does a good job of representing this story.

As a last note I would actually like to take this chance to advertise another favorite story of mine that I feel needs love which is '**It Can't Be Helped**', by an author and friend of mine named** Departures**. The story is a series of short chapters, drabbles really, that deal with the Takaishi and Ishida families, a big focus being on the parents of the two and each chapter showcasing different points in everyone's lives. The story hasn't been updated in a while due to real life commitments, but **Departures** is still active in terms of us talking with one another, though they did mention that RL commitments are going to be slowing down soon and that they will now be able to get back to writing. You can find both **Departures** and '**It Can't Be Helped**' on my favorites list. I'd appreciate it and consider it a favor if you take a look if you have the chance, since I do like to spread the love around for stories I think deserve it.


	54. Family

I love this show. Honestly, I knew from the moment I turned on that channel to watch it that it was going to be something that really affected me. How many years later and I'm still writing fan fiction about it?

* * *

><p>Yamato couldn't help but be slightly concerned as he draped a wool blanket over Taichi and Jun, the two of them having drunkenly decided that it would be a neat idea to fall asleep on top of one another on the couch, and he patted each of them for reassurance as he then made his way to the kitchen. Everyone had gathered at their apartment to watch old tapes of Jun's father from when he was a champion boxer, and it had been a night that was greeted as all legendary ones are, with overpriced pizza and friends gathering in drunken song and story. Well, mostly anyways, since at least three of the attendees of the kickback were unable to consume alcohol; Sora because of her pregnancy, Koushiro because of the medication he was on, and himself because of the scar he had on his body from where his kidney used to be. It was odd to greet a celebration with sobriety of all things, a state of being that Yamato had always seen as something of a crutch for law abiding citizens to help them feel their moral superiority that was as sanctimonious as it was predictable. Still, it wasn't as if it was the first time that he had done so considering the party held just the previous week to celebrate Sora's pregnancy, and in a strange way he would have never expected of himself, he thought that it was somewhat rather neat to still have a clear head by the time he went to bed.<p>

"What a night, huh?" Koushiro asked him the moment that he stepped into the kitchen, the youngest of the group munching on one of the few remaining slices of meat lover's pizza that was left.

Yamato just shrugged as he walked a bit deeper into the kitchen and began to dig through their fridge to look for something to drink. There was a lot of beer, mostly that crisp Chinese kind that always had that taste of oak with just the tiniest hint of honey added in for sweet measure, and he grunted when he had to push that particular frosty drink off to the side in favor of the bottle of water that was resting right behind it. He closed the fridge when he was done with it, Yamato stretching before he twisted open the bottle of water for a nice refreshing gulp.

That was all it took for Yamato to nod to himself with a satisfied smile on his face, and before looking back at Koushiro, he took one last glance to the living room, at that moment feeling a lot of sympathy for whoever it would fall upon to clean up the mess the following day. There was a lot of the kind of trash that came with food like pizza all strewn about the room, a nice collection of bottles and cans of different sorts of alcohol of varying strengths, and in the background the television just kept playing one of Motomiya Jun'ichi's, the Sleeping Dog, favorite fights in a loop. It was a lifetime ago that Jun's father had been a proud champion of the ring, rising from being just another Burakumin thug to a boxing champion that was internationally renown, but Yamato couldn't help but nod in approval as he watched Jun'ichi's bloody face smile as he rose a championship belt in the air, a moment which would fade into memories and wistful glory days the more that time passed on.

His eyes glanced over to Taichi and Jun who had begun to cuddle with one another on the couch, both of them probably thinking it was someone else that they were hanging onto. He stifled a chuckle and shook his head, Yamato taking that moment to walk over to Koushiro's side to lean on the counter beside where the redheaded young man had been standing and eating in cheerful solitude, and then he finally let his eyes fall to the entrance of the hallway that led to all of their rooms, Yamato having a pretty good idea of what it was that Sora and Jou were doing since the recently pregnant woman had dragged the young doctor out of sight practically the moment that the Sleeping Dog had knocked out the then national champion in the eleventh round of the match.

Taking another quick drink of water, Yamato then wrapped his arm around Koushiro. "Tell your girlfriend she missed one hell of a good time."

Koushiro, never having been the kind of person who picked up on social cues, just made a confused face before answering. "Are you talking about Mimi?"

Yamato just laughed, Koushiro being the kind of guy who was a genius when it came to some things and a total dumbass when it came to others. "The chick came all the way from America just to be here with you, Koushiro-chan. She's in love with you."

"You mean," Yamato heard him pause for a second as if Koushiro had considered for a moment whether or not to continue, "kind of like how Jun came all the way from Odaiba to be with you too?"

Yamato frowned since he never really expected Koushiro to get defensive the way he did concerning his relationship with Mimi. He shrugged it off though, and removed his arm from Koushiro as he sighed, hoping that the guy could eventually be able to sort out his feelings, even if that was something that he himself tended to have trouble with sometimes.

"Jun is my family," he said after the two of them had stood in silence watching from the kitchen as the Sleeping Dog gave that one last punch to the champion who had been trying to break him for the better part of the night, "all of the Motomiyas are."

Koushiro nodded, knowing exactly how Yamato felt. "And Mimi is my family, the only one I really have."

The two stood in relative silence, the buzzing of the refrigerator being the only noise that waded through the room, neither having anything that they really felt they needed to say. It was as they watched the television though, as they watched the memory from the kitchen of the champion that wanted to forever commemorate one of his moments of glory, Yamato felt that it was only right to say what he was actually thinking.

"Mimi isn't the only family that you have," he admitted quietly, both knowing what he meant, both being a tad embarrassed to just say it out right.

It was something that each of them had learned throughout their lives, that family had nothing to do with blood, Yamato through the wonderful people that had stumbled into his life, and Koushiro due to a little girl named Mimi that decided that the two of them were going to be best friends when they met on her very first day in their orphanage. As corny as it sounded, both of them knew that the family that you come from isn't as important as the family that you end up having in the end.

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><p>Forgive me if that was a bit rusty. I'm trying to get back into the groove of writing regularly.<p> 


	55. Valentine's Day

I thought you guys deserved a present for Valentine's Day from Uncle Kal-El to you loyal folks who read this story of mine that has yet to have a point, so here it is!

Quote of the day:

**_I was born 87 years ago. For 65 years I've ruled as Tamriel's emperor, but for all these years, I've never been the ruler of my own dreams. I have seen the gates of Oblivion, beyond which no waking eyes may see. Behold! In darkness, a doom sweeps the land. This is the 27th of Last Seed, the Year of Akatosh 433. These are the closing days of the Third Era... and the final hours of my life._**

**_— Emperor Uriel Septim VII, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion_  
><strong>

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><p>"So, she gave you chocolates?" he heard the thirteen year old boy sitting next to him ask, Taichi's voice sounding anxious, though Yamato couldn't exactly say as to why.<p>

He was quiet, which wasn't unusual for the young boy, and he continued to stare at the box of homemade chocolates that Jun had given him at the end of school earlier that afternoon. It was Valentine's Day, a day which over the years just came and went as if it were any other day in the always very short February month, but Yamato knew as his fingers slowly caressed the neatly and carefully wrapped box, that this Valentine's Day was going to be a very different one than any other that he had ever had. He felt something tug inside him as his eyes remained ever fixated on the pink box he held with more care than any other gift he had ever been given, and Yamato's thirteen year old heart fluttered at the thought that perhaps it was a day that had already been changed forever.

Jun had asked to talk with him alone after school, which was oddly enough as strange as it was routine, considering that he spent most days hanging out with Jun, but mostly with Taichi joining them as well to form their ever loyal trio. It seemed mundane enough for him to not actually take much notice of the fact that she wanted to talk to him under one of the Sakura trees that grew just a short walk away from their school, in fact Yamato had even been looking forward to it since it was a nice getaway from all the girls at school handing out chocolates to those that made them hear music, one or two of them even having made some for Yamato before he gently turned them down. It wasn't until he noticed that Jun had been uncharacteristically silent as they made their way over to the Sakura tree that she said had always been her favorite, even though it would be another good month and a half or two until they actually blossomed, before Yamato realized that something that was perhaps life changing was just about to happen.

The girl had stopped in front of him before she turned around, face more crimson than he had ever seen before, and it was then that she pulled out a small box of homemade chocolates she had apparently made dozens of batches of before she had gotten them perfect. A confession, a kiss, and a punch in the arm later, Jun had left him there standing under that tree in shock of what had happened, with his heart beating fast and with his mind trying to imagine just what exactly she had meant when she said that the two of them had plans that night before she dashed out like the wild horse of a girl that he had always known her as.

"Yeah," Yamato finally replied to Taichi, face becoming red at remembering what had happened just a few hours ago, "and she says that we have a date tonight."

The air was quiet again with the exception of the slow breaths from Taichi as the two of them sat out on the Yagami balcony with their legs crossed, cans of the box of root beer they had been drinking littering their most very favorite hang out spot. Yamato hadn't expected Taichi to at all be excited with what had happened with Jun, especially considering that romance wasn't actually a thing that many thirteen year old boys were particularly gung-ho about, but as he glanced away from the gift from Jun and rested his eyes on Taichi he had expected at least some sort of reaction other than silence.

"Do," Taichi began to say as he curled his legs up to himself, and cast his eyes off to the side, "do you like her like that?"

Yamato's eyes stayed on Taichi, the boy still being unsure as to why the two of his friends had been acting so differently all day. After a minute or so he shrugged it off though, his gaze drifting back to the box of chocolates he was now holding close to himself, and his thoughts drifting back to Jun. "I think that I might. I've just never thought of her that way before, you know?"

Taichi said nothing at first, Yamato also remaining quiet while his attention kept switching from the young wild haired boy that was sitting with him and the box of chocolates that he had been given earlier, but then he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when Taichi began to dig through his pockets for something. That was when Taichi gripped on rather tightly to a half eaten chocolate bar and handed it over to him. Yamato hesitated considering the meaning that was behind whenever girls gave chocolate to boys on Valentine's Day, but then he snorted and gave himself a light smack since this was Taichi after all, and boys had different relationships with each other than boys and girls did, especially when it came to love.

"You're giving me chocolate?" Yamato laughed, grabbing onto the candy bar that Taichi was handing him and then taking a quick bite of it.

"Happy Valentine's Day," was Taichi's only response, and even all the way back then Yamato hadn't realized that Taichi's hand had been shaking with the same kind of nervousness that Jun had had when she confessed to him.

It was a frequent memory he had around Valentine's Day, and Yamato knew that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep as he splashed water in his face and remembered that Valentine's Day that he had from all the way back when he was just a thirteen year old boy. He shut the faucet off, and quietly made his way out of the bathroom as he headed back to the room he shared with Taichi, staying quiet so that he wouldn't wake up either Jun or Sora whose room that they shared was closest to the rest room. He closed the door behind him as he entered his room, and practically tiptoed over to the night stand that was off to Taichi's side of the bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Yamato whispered, reaching into his pocket to grab the half eaten chocolate he had grabbed from the fridge just a few minutes ago, setting it down quietly on the night stand so that Taichi would see it the moment he woke up.

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><p>Now, I'm off to go see the Lego Movie in a few hours. Happy Valentine's Day!<p> 


	56. Hell

It's been a month since I've updated anything, school has been harsh on my writing, but for now I'm back with this chapter and more to come for other things. I talked to one of my readers, and I'd like to say we're pals by now, and they mentioned that they would very much like to read a date night chapter. I began to write one, but in the end I found that I couldn't once I found out about the news that Fred Phelps, the Pastor and founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, had died today. The date night chapter will be posted soon I think, but for now this is what I had to do.

Quote of the day:

_**To forgive is an act of compassion, Buffy. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it.**_

_**Giles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer**_

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><p>Yamato and Taichi remained quiet as they each continued to read the words on the tattered pamphlet they had found in the park near their apartment, both young men not being sure what to think about the rhetoric that the typed up words were meant to preach out towards the world. The evening had been rather typical of a date night, a trip to the movies to see the latest action flick followed up by a quick and unhealthy meal of a couple burgers and fries, but it wasn't until they had gone to the park to find a nice spot to sit and simply stare up at the sky that the night had drifted into it's own little story that had a rather different ending than either he or Taichi had expected when they left the apartment earlier in the day, offhandedly telling Sora and Jun not to wait up for them.<p>

"God hates fags." Taichi read for the both of them to hear, throat drying up due to the discomfort he felt from the statement that had caused so much pain and so much suffering for multitudes of people all around the world.

Yamato himself frowned when he heard the words spoken out loud, and even though he wanted to do nothing more than just set the piece of paper he was holding onto ablaze, his eyes remained fixated on those three simple words that took up the most prominent place on the pamphlet that he was still gripping onto. The words of hatred were printed boldly and defiantly on the sheet he couldn't take his eyes off of, as if daring the reader to disagree with them, and Yamato couldn't help but close his eyes and shake his head in shame. He had never really been the religious type, honestly only joining the Yagamis in their festival prayers or shrine visits every so often back when he lived with them, but the fact that there were a good deal of people who agreed with what was written on the pamphlet was one of the reasons he had always been turned off on the subject for the most part.

Beliefs like that were what caused so many otherwise decent people to fill their hearts with hatred, and beliefs like that were also something that caused shame and self-loathing in the hearts of so many confused people who struggled to come to terms with what they were and who were the kinds of people that they would eventually fall in love with, even when parts of society said that that was not the way things should be. Maeda had been murdered because of the hatred that some people let consume themselves, and the fact that the young out and proud man had been brutalized and killed just a few blocks from where they lived was a reminder that the same sort of thing had the possibility of happening to either Taichi or himself. He opened his eyes again, Yamato forcing himself to forget about his long dead neighbor, and his eyes drifted elsewhere to the bottom left corner of the pamphlet, where a drawing was proudly displayed, showing 'fags' burning in Hell.

"Do," Taichi broke the silence and cleared his throat, the moment his eyes too landed on that dreadful picture being the moment that he had to shift his gaze to the grass that was just off to his side, "do you think that there's a chance that all this might be true?"

Yamato lowered the pamphlet that he had been holding and frowned when he saw the way that Taichi began to shift in the spot of grass he was sitting in. He knew that even as Taichi embraced him through the countless nights they shared together from when they were young boys to when they had grown up to become strong young men, that Taichi had always been and still was uncomfortable, perhaps even frightened, by his own sexuality. His hands began to grip onto the pamphlet harder than he had originally meant to as he pondered about all the strife that hateful messages like that caused to not only Taichi, but to those all around the world who were too afraid to just be the people they were born to be.

Without another thought, Yamato quickly stood up, to both Taichi's and his own surprise, and began to tear the pamphlet up piece by piece and page by page. When a sudden gust of wind rushed through the area of the park that they were in, Yamato smiled and relaxed his hands as he let the wind carry off the tiny pieces of shredded hatred to parts unknown. Perhaps it wasn't exactly the response that best told what he felt, but as the Japanese wind made the torn up pieces of paper dance high up in the sky above him, he figured he had gotten the point across well enough.

"I don't know if I believe in God," Yamato whispered quietly as he continued to stare after what was left of the pamphlet he had torn to pieces, "but if there is one then I doubt He's the kind of person that hates anyone."

"If he does though," Yamato continued after a moment of silence, looking away from where the wind had blown and then back down towards Taichi as he held his hand out to help him stand up, "then you're worth it."

"Worth what?" a still unsure Taichi asked as he clutched onto the hand that Yamato offered.

Not missing a beat, Yamato smiled once more in complete sincerity. "Hell."

With both young men now standing up and facing each other, Yamato's smile softened but still remained as he silently wiped a tear that found it's way trailing down Taichi's cheek. He saw love in his eyes, and affection, but he also saw the fear that Yamato wasn't sure if it would ever leave Taichi's eyes completely. Neither of them saying anything, they embraced each other as the wind around them began to quiet down, at that moment Yamato realizing something that he wished he could tell all the rest of the world.

God hates no one.

* * *

><p>To those of you who don't know, a man named Fred Phelps died just earlier today. I've never been quite sure on the kind of international renown that the man had overseas, but in America he and his church, the Westboro Baptist Church, were infamous for their protesting of funerals of dead soldiers and murder victims of the LGBT community. The one thing that I'm sure that everybody recognizes though are the "God Hates Fags" signs that he made famous during his lifetime.<p>

I've seen a lot of celebrating his death and saying that the world is a better place without him in it, and quite frankly it actually is since he spent his life spreading hatred, but I don't think that celebrating anybody's death is the right thing to do. The man set out into the world with a message of hate, but in the end he did the opposite of what he wanted since all his hateful words did was bring people together.

It's weird to think that during the Civil Rights Movement, that Phelps was an attorney who handled 2/3 of the civil rights cases in his area, and risked his life fighting for his clients because he truly believed in their equality. It's a sad thing to see what eventually became of him.

In any case, I dedicate this chapter to you, Fred, and to the fact that you brought people together with your words instead of what you originally sought out to do. For the last time, goodnight, Mr. Phelps. God loves everyone, even you.


	57. King and King

So, I haven't updated in about a month, and I decided to come back to you guys with this after hearing about a children's book called _King and King_, which involves two princes falling in love with each other. Anyways, something I've been busy with is actually going back through this and editing chapters since when reading it again, man, was it cringe worthy to me. I've edited and updated the first ten chapters of this story, you can tell because the disclaimers were replaced by quotes of the day, and I plan to do it with the rest as well. I have yet to decide whether to update this story every five or ten chapters that I edit, but the updating will be slow for the while that I'm going through this process. The good news though is that I'm already 1/5 of the way done.

Anyways, this chapter and the next are a pair.

Quote of the day:

_**"If I'm King, where's my power? Can I form a government? Can I levy a tax, declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can't speak."**_

_**- King George VI, The King's Speech**_

* * *

><p>The breeze felt comfortably cool as he and Taichi walked together through the streets of Osaka, with their usual destination of everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.<p>

It was odd but not unheard of that they decided to go somewhere out in the middle of the day instead of embarking on their midnight adventures like they usually did, the two of them often finding an odd sense of closeness under the moon and the usually starless sky. This was nice too though, Yamato thought, as he stretched and yawned, elbows up and hands behind his head as he strolled nonchalantly with Taichi ever at his side. Out of the corner of his eyes he peered over at the young man that was walking beside him, and for a moment Yamato allowed himself a wispy thought that perhaps the two of them could stay like this forever.

He knew that it wasn't true though, that as great and powerful as it was, that all love ended tragically. If it wasn't circumstance that broke two people apart, then it was two souls who over time drifted apart from each other. That in particular though was something that Yamato had his doubts about that shake the strong bond he and Taichi had developed together over the years, but he still frowned nonetheless as he watched Taichi also yawn as they continued to stroll, the long shadow of the Reaper being something that no one could ever escape from.

"So what do you want to do?" Taichi yawned once more, the two of them leaving their apartment that morning without a clue as to what their day in the city would pertain.

In turn, Yamato also yawned, taking a moment to shrug as well. "Something we haven't done before? That'll be fun I think."

Snorting, Taichi just shook his head, easily figuring out that Yamato was just copping out. "How fun! What a so definitive idea!"

Snorting right back, Yamato stopped where he was and let his hands drop to his sides. There were people walking up and about in Osaka like there usually were, but the two of them weren't in the way enough that it would be bothersome to anyone for him to immediately stop walking to cross his arms in annoyance. "Hey, if you have any ideas I'm totally open to them. Just lay one on me."

Taichi smirked, seeing how hot bothered he had been able to make Yamato, and Yamato narrowed his eyes at Yagami, refusing to let the man get to him any further. He stood there with arms crossed, under the warm Osaka sun and with the calming Japanese breeze still being their companion for the day. His face softened as let his arms drop to his sides again. It was much too nice a day to let himself be angry about anything.

"I do have one idea, actually." Taichi said after some silence, smiling at Yamato as the two of them then began to start walking again. "Only if you actually want to do it though."

Yamato quirked an eyebrow, unsure of what Taichi was about to suggest, taking the following moment to smile at a young woman who was walking just passed them, her eyes twinkling as they rested on Taichi and himself. He knew that the two of them were handsome, were men that if they wanted to could become the bane of many boyfriends who felt insecure about letting their significant others out into the world to explore it. He had heard it once be described from a young prostitute named Anna back in Odaiba's red light district that he had once called home, that he and Taichi were princes of a fairy tale that she had only ever seen be played out in her mind. It was something that caused him to frown, Yamato wondering if the girl that was even younger than his brother turned to fairy stories and fantasies often, perhaps most likely when she would get on her back and let strangers do things to her for money.

He remembered how she had described it, her bright and tragically hopeful eyes drifting to watch Takeru every now and then for a reason that Yamato didn't have to voice to know, and it was always a story that remained vivid in his mind. It was a tale that began when a wealthy prince of a strong kingdom ran away one day due to the pressure put on him by his parents to find himself a princess to one day marry and make his queen. As the young prince ran through the streets and the rain he threw off all his gold and the pomp robes and clothing that marked him as royalty, and the prince ran and ran until he slipped in the rain, lying there until he was found an hour later by two street rats. The two street rats helped the prince, not knowing who he was, and as the prince and the rats befriended one another, over the next few years the two rats—brothers, became close to his heart. It wouldn't be until one day when the older rat was arrested for stealing some food for the three of them to eat that the prince then returned to his family's palace, showing up to demand that the older rat be set free again. His family rejoiced when they saw him, and so did he when he saw the rat be freed, and he then brought the two street urchins to live with him at the palace. The story ended years later when the prince and the older rat smiled at one another as they then bowed before all the subjects of the kingdom, ruling together as King and King.

"What do you have in mind?" he remembered to ask after a moment, Yamato being lost in his thoughts just then.

Taichi said nothing, instead just running at that moment, intending to surprise Yamato with what waited for them at the end of their destination.


	58. Music

It's been a while, but I'm finally back with an update to this story, and an end to my mini-hiatus I placed on this little tale of mine. It's part two of the previous chapter, and I have to say that I like the way that it came out. Next chapter I think will deal with the whole moving out of Osaka, and them discussing where else in Japan they'll try and find their home.

I want to give a special thanks to myun and want to shout out to their tumblr: **post/89145088493**. Thanks again to myun for providing this story with some cover art that I could use! I really loved the art, and I'm happy enough to use it.

Quote of the day:

_**"My favorite things are... the footsteps of a certain person heading towards the house, the sound of the piano and drums riffing in the basement, and the laughter of two boys."**_

_**— Ritsuko Mukae, Kids on the Slope**_

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><p>Yamato's eyes scanned the light filled room of the building that Taichi had decided to drag him to that afternoon, and even though he was skeptical as to what the other young man wanted to do bringing him to the particular place that they were at, he couldn't help but admire all the different guitars that were hanging up proudly and numerously across the walls of the music store that they were in. It had been years since he had picked up a guitar, which was far too long than Yamato had ever wanted it to be, and his eyes danced from instrument to instrument, the music of his past floating in his memories, all the while he tried not to let the stain of why he had first quit playing music ruin the moment for him.<p>

Like most things in his life, music was a bittersweet thing for him. He remembered being just a kid back in Odaiba, and the way that his heart leaped with each and every chord that he mastered on his very own bass guitar back in the yesterdays of yesterday. It had been so long, too long in fact, and as he walked at Taichi's side through that music store, eyes watching the guitars on the wall, Yamato ignoring the sets of drums and the keyboards all the while, he felt as if could just pretend that he was still the musician he was in his younger days, if for just a second. He didn't doubt that he'd be able to pull out some sort of bass rift if he set his mind and soul to it, Yamato remembering just how easily and naturally it had come to him when he had first started playing. The moments of hesitation in his mind didn't come from a fear that he couldn't play or anything like that, but instead was born of a memory from way back when that caused him to frown, the air becoming sour for a second.

_**"**__**He was staring at you when we were changing in gym! Are you really going to choose some faggot over us?**__**"**_

He shook away the thought, instead deciding to focus on what was in front of him when he and Taichi reached one of the walls in the room that consisted primarily of guitars, both of the electric and the bass variety. He ignored the electric guitar, and instead reached over and grabbed the nearest bass off the wall. Yamato smiled as he examined the instrument in his hands, and the grin stayed on his face as he admired the black guitar and the dark green specks that outlined it. It was a fierce thing, subtle while in the same vein being ominous, and after basking in the heavy presence of the guitar for a moment, he hung it back up in the spot that he had taken it off, and backed way, his eyes never leaving the instrument. He gave a nod of approval before he looked away, and conceded that part of him did in fact want to actually give it a test drive. He wouldn't of course, it had already brought up memories as bitter as they were sad, but it didn't mean that he couldn't just imagine a happier scene for a moment.

Between his brother and himself, Takeru had always been more of a dreamer than Yamato ever was. The kid had been young in those long nights when Natsuko and Hiroaki yelled at one another at the top of their lungs and threw things and broke them all through the night. The kid had been young when Natsuko finally left one rainy day, and in those next three months they spent in a silent apartment, with Hiroaki only moving from his bed to eat and to shit. The kid had been young so he didn't remember those days too well, and if there was only one thing that Yamato could be proud of, it was of the fact that he had let Takeru be a kid for longer than Yamato had ever had a childhood.

_**"**__**I'm starting to think that maybe he likes Yagami staring at him?**__**"**_

He didn't look away from the bass guitar until Taichi made a big gesture to the rest of the wall, and Yamato arched an eyebrow in amusement as the brown haired young man beside him motioned to the wall in a way that was much too dramatic to take seriously. "So," Taichi grinned, not letting up in the way that he outstretched his arm as if he was playing the part of Lord Benedick from _Much Ado About Nothing_, or Renly Baratheon from _A Song of Ice and Fire_, "what do you think?"

Yamato took another step away from the wall of instruments, as if doing so was just as good as shouting his opinion from the rooftops of Osaka. "I don't play anymore."

Taichi just shrugged. "You can always start again, you know? There's nothing stopping you, Yamato."

Yamato frowned as he looked back over at the bass guitar that he had only moments ago set back down. He was about to reach over to grab it again, but hesitated. "Why are you pushing this on me?"

"I don't want you to feel pushed," Taichi replied in a quieter voice than normal, frowning just as he was, "I just want you to be happier, you know? You look natural with a guitar in your hands."

His eyes trailed away from the guitar once more, and they softened when they settled on Taichi. "I am happy," he whispered honestly, "my mind just sometimes drifts to places I don't want it to go."

Taichi didn't answer back, and instead simply rested a hand on Yamato's shoulder. His frown soon formed into a smile, and he stepped forward to grab a hold of the black guitar that he had just set down. His mind drifted to one last memory, and as it did, a part of him wondered if perhaps this was the day that he finally let music back into his heart.

_**"We're your band mates, man. It's either us or him, Ishida."**_

_** "I choose him."**_

As he walked out of that music store an hour later, his right hand gripping onto the handle of the case that held his new guitar, he laughed at a happier memory of running down the hallway of Odaiba High with Jun directly on their heel, face full of anger and screaming obscenities at them all the while. There was a lot of darkness in his youth, darkness that shaped him into who he was, but there was a lot of light there as well. As he and Taichi continued to laugh in the sunshine while they walked the streets of Japan, he realized something about the ultimatum that his band mates had given him all those years ago.

He had chosen correctly.

* * *

><p>Seriously, all you guys have to watch an anime called <em><strong>Kids on the SlopeSakamichi No Apollon**_. It is genuinely in my top five animes I've ever seen, and I give it a ten out of ten. It's a story about odd friendships and music, and it's worked as a personal inspiration for my own stories, _**A Home at the End of the Street**_ in particular. It also has a heavy focus on jazz, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with it.

One last thanks to myun for the art. I'll be sure to surprise you with some fan fiction on your favorite pairing.

Oh, and I dedicate this chapter to AmiraStarr. It's good to have you back.


	59. The Rains of Castamere

So, the setting is set to change soon enough in this story. This is the beginning of it, and I feel that it came at an odd point in my own life, seeing as I'm gearing up to move about 2,000 miles away from my own current home within two weeks time. Soon enough the name 'Kal-El Fornia' will be irrelevant.

Anyways, this story reached the 350 review mark recently. I'm totally psyched. Perhaps the 400 mark isn't as far off as I thought it was?

Quote of the day:

**_"And who are you, the proud lord said, __that I must bow so low? __Only a cat of a different coat, __that's all the truth I know. __In a coat of gold or a coat of red, __a lion still has claws, __And mine are long and sharp, my lord, __as long and sharp as yours. __And so he spoke, and so he spoke, __that lord of Castamere, __But now the rains weep o'er his hall, __with no one there to hear. __Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall, __and not a soul to hear."_**

**_- "The Rains of Castamere", A Song of Ice and Fire_**

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><p>Yamato's eyes remained locked on the red dot marked Odaiba on the map of Japan that was sprawled across their dining room table, and the sound of Taichi and Jun debating with one another drifted to the background of his mind, his gaze unmoving from the letters that so clearly spelled out the word of the place that had once been his home. It brought back memories for him as he continued to stare at the dot, memories bright and dark, and memories that Yamato had never been quite sure as to whether or not they were things he actually enjoyed having.<p>

The word brought him a memory of little Takeru proudly showing off the very first time that the little boy had been able to spell 'Yamato' correctly, but it also brought him another one of him standing behind a door that was barely creaked open as he watched his little brother laughing with two other people who had walked into his life named Daisuke and Hikari, Yamato all the while wondering if he really had a place in his brother's life anymore. It brought a memory of the familiar scent of a woman holding him close and singing to him while she smelled like home, like cigarettes and lavender, while at the same time having a very different memory of that same woman walking away from him and his brother as the rain beat heavy against the street. The word brought him a memory of Hiroaki's hard fists and harder words, and of the times that Yamato would hear his father crying in the middle of the night when the older man thought that his two sons were asleep, but it also brought him a memory of that same man smiling at him as their family of three sat around the breakfast table, laughing and telling stories, the three of them enjoying bowls of chocolate puffs that came out of a box that had a shoddily drawn alligator on it.

He had a different home now though, one that over the years he had grown to be fond of in his own way, even if it wasn't the familiar city of Odaiba where the young man had beforehand spent all of his life. Osaka and it's district of Doyama had it's benefits and it's flaws, the things that made it great as well as the things that made him look back to the past that shone brighter and brighter every day, even if the memories he had of those times were still sometimes dark. Now however, now he was leaving, the place no longer feeling like it could be the home that he wanted it to be, the one that he felt deep down inside was the place that he actually needed to be in life.

"Yamato," Taichi interrupted his thoughts as Yamato felt the other young man's hand resting on his shoulder, "what do you think?"

For the first time since the map had been sprawled across the dining room table, Yamato looked away from it and instead his eyes trailed across the faces of his three roommates as they watched him expectantly. He had been the one who felt as if the powerful tide that was called life was calling them to drift away from Doyama to find a home somewhere else in the country, but honestly he had no idea what he wanted or where it was that they were supposed to go. He frowned for a moment, before meeting eyes with Jun, the sometimes out there young woman being the last of their apartment quartet to move into their latest city.

"If you had to pick," he asked her, her eyes staring right back at him, "where would you want us to go?"

Jun resisted making a joke as was her gut reaction, and the woman only thought for a moment, before giving an honest response of how she felt. "Maybe back to Odaiba would be my first choice. I miss my parents, and as stupid as he is sometimes, I miss my brother too," Jun paused for a second as she spoke, eyes trailing away from Yamato's and instead back to the map that had a whole country of possibilities waiting for them, "though," she continued again, "part of me does feel like going on another adventure, you know? There's always people to meet, and places to see, when you find yourself in a new place that you want to call home."

Yamato nodded, part of him feeling the same way, even if people in general were never something he enjoyed or looked forward to meeting, at least when it came to those beyond the ones that had managed to find a place in his heart. He supposed it wasn't completely true, what with the friendships he had come to share with people like Koushiro and Jou, like Mimi and Sora, and as he sat there, as he pondered on Jun's words, he wondered if there was perhaps anyone else waiting for them wherever it was that they found themselves next.

"Odaiba would be good," Taichi interrupted his thoughts, "but I'm not sure if it's good for now just yet."

Yamato's gaze moved to Taichi who was sitting right beside him on the couch, and he only raised an eyebrow, Yagami not making a single bit of sense. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Taichi, seeing that Jun and Sora were also giving him confused looks, only shrugged and placed his hands behind his head as he leaned back into the couch. "I don't know how to explain it, but somehow it feels as if wherever it is that we go, that it won't be the last place that we find ourselves, you know? Like there's something out there that we can't see, that we won't ever have a clue about, that's guiding us to wherever it is that it wants us to end up."

Yamato frowned, not sure how much he liked the idea of being a puppet with invisible strings to some great and equally invisible puppeteer. Still, he considered Taichi's words just as much he did Jun's, and his eyes once more found themselves resting on the dot marked Odaiba. As he sat there and as he thought upon all the things that had danced across his mind the past hour, he wondered without luck on just what exactly it was that he was searching for out there in the vastness of Japan. As he sat there, memories both bright and dark swirling in his mind, he wondered if he could ever find it.

* * *

><p>So, yeah, I'm moving out of California. It's really surreal, though it will be nice to see my brother again who lives in Canada, and won't be that far of a drive to actually visit anymore.<p>

The last thing I really got to say is that I assume that most of you have heard of the next big thing in the world of Digimon? A new series of Digimon Adventure has been announced, with the timeline being when all of the Chosen Children/Digidestined are in high school. Won't that shake things up, eh?


	60. Goodnight, Robin

Right now, I'm going to be more frank than I usually am. This chapter was me working out feelings about the death of Robin Williams, of a man who had been such a big part of my life, and of my childhood. I cried when I found out what happened. I shed tears, and I looked for those poignant moments in his life and his career. I didn't believe it, and I felt that knife twist in my heart when I heard how it was that the man had died. Forgive me for the logistics of whether or not people in Japan actually watch Robin Williams movies, or his comedy, but right now I'm just too heartbroken to actually care.

Quote of the day:

_**"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."**_

_**-Robin Williams**_

* * *

><p>His held back his tears as he watched the credits of the last of the Robin Williams movies that he owned, and Yamato remained quiet as he watched for the final time as the different names on the TV screen rolled by, the young man almost unable to stop the water that began to well up in his eyes. When he had heard the news, it was something that he almost couldn't believe, and that stung Yamato in his heart in a million ways that he had never thought it could. Death was a part of life, death had been such a big part of his own, but that never made it easier, and that never meant that it didn't hurt just as bad every time that it happened.<p>

He remembered the way that Robin's films had affected him as a boy, had reminded him in sadder moments, in moments where he just wanted to crawl into the darkness and never return, that it was okay to laugh, and that it was okay to smile, even when sad. Yamato knew that he wasn't the only person that had ever had their heart touched by Robin's films, and as he sat there on the couch in the living room he shared with his three roommates that were more like family to him than they were just friends, the young man made no effort to move from the spot he had spent most of his day on, and most of last night too. Without another word, the credits of _Dead Poets Society_ rolling by all the while, Yamato sat in silence, wondering if maybe it was okay to rewatch all the movies just like he had finished only moments ago.

Robin was a man who brought happiness and laughter into the world, who believed in bringing it to the people who needed it most, and what struck Yamato to his soul was that despite everything that Robin had done to help people turn away from the abyss, what he had done to show that there was another way, that laughter and love could change the world, that even a man like that had been unable to save himself at the very end of it all. The man's death had been tragic and horrific, and as Yamato sat on his couch and thought, as thoughts both happy and dark battled one another in his mind, he wondered about his own life, and about the end that it would one day have. If the darkness inside of someone like Robin had been able to consume the man, had been able to make Robin see no other way out other than what transpired that awful day, what hope was there for Yamato? There was a darkness in him too, one that no matter how much he tried to avoid it, no matter how much he tried to look to the bright future that lay ahead of him, was a darkness that haunted his memories, and his dreams as well.

He was alone with his thoughts, as he had been since he heard the news, and he fought back the tears that kept trying to come, and that Yamato no longer wanted to shed. He had cried on the inside for Robin and his death, for the part of his childhood that had died with the man, and what he wanted to do most in that moment, more than anything in the whole wide world, was to simply sit back and laugh and smile. It wasn't the usual kind of person that he was, though it wasn't unknown for him to break out into a grin, but what Yamato wanted was to live as Robin would have wanted him to, not to live in the darkness that had become too much for Robin to bear. This man whose films touched not only himself, but millions around the world, he stood for something greater than himself, he stood for that love and laughter that was often found so little in the world, and that was what Yamato wanted to exemplify as he sat on his lonely couch, and not the pain that made him suffer so much as he had.

He almost didn't notice when he felt someone rest a hand on his shoulder. He slowly turned around, and was unsurprised to see that it was Taichi who had come to check on him after so much time watching old movies, and so much time holding back the tears that fought to come out. As Yamato met Taichi's eyes, he knew what Taichi was there for. Taichi was there to give him a hand, and to try to help him out of his sorrow. He knew that, he really did, but all he felt in that moment was anger, and hate, and all those bad feelings that come when people's hearts are too heavy for them to feel anything else. He stood up, that darkness inside him growing, the pain he never expected to feel being sharper than he had ever felt the night before, and he came face to face with Taichi as he made his way from the front of the couch where he had just gotten up, to the back of it where Taichi had tried to reassure him.

He wanted to yell at Taichi, he wanted to hit him and call him names, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, and he wanted to let the darkness and the pain and the sorrow he felt out of him, and away from him, but as he stood there, as his lips quivered, Yamato only remembered one thing. He remembered a man who laughed, and a man who said that no matter whatever anybody told him, that words and ideas could change the world. And so Yamato stood there with Taichi, remembering all there was to remember concerning a man who had helped to make the universe a better place, and remaining just as silent as he had been for the entire day, he clasped onto Taichi, as if there was nothing else in the world.

And he cried.

* * *

><p>I usually don't tell people to go read my other stories or anything like that, but I earlier today wrote a short one-shot titled <em><strong>O Captain, My Captain<strong>_, which is a bit more candid, set in _Aladdin_ (of which Robin Williams played the Genie), and is the thing I wrote to officially be my tribute to the man. I cried while writing both these things, while remembering him and his films, and my heart is absolutely broken right now.

Goodnight, Robin, and rest in peace. Genie, you're free.


	61. Wind Chime

So, I'm back to writing again after so long of feeling like I lost my touch. I've been busy these last few months. I've been doing things like finding a new job, new university(with a kickass scholarship), moving across the country from sunny California to the frozen wasteland that is the Michigan winter. It's strange, but I feel like I'm back now to a hobby that I've grown to love so much. The last chapter was a while ago and about the death of Robin Williams, but this chapter...I feel like it's one that needed to be done. I didn't even plan on writing anything tonight, but when I sat down at the computer this is what came out.

Before I do anything, I do have to say a thanks to all my readers over the years! Thanks to you this story is almost at 400 reviews! That's crazy, and way more than I ever would have expected! I seriously love you guys. It touches my heart that so many of you have stuck around for so long.

And so, let the adventure continue.

Quote of the day:

_**"Shizue, though she wasn't an especially popular geisha, was considered by everyone in Gion to be the most fortunate of women. For thirty years she'd been the mistress of a pharmacist. He wasn't a wealthy man, and she wasn't a beauty; but you could have looked all over Kyoto and not found two people who enjoyed each other's company as much as they did."**_

_**— Memoirs of a Geisha**_

* * *

><p>The sound of the roaring city was a familiar one that was coming in from the open balcony sliding door, and Yamato lazily looked over to it from his spot on the couch, the sun warming his legs, and the whistle of a newly put up wind chime bringing him a sweet memory of his boyhood. He was half asleep if he had to be honest, the dangling of the bells of the wind chime and the sound of cars driving ever by the building where he lived being something that soothed Yamato just as the sound of the ocean and it's breeze did the same for others. It was a simple thing to admit that he loved the city life, that he always had, and the young man frowned at that moment, looking away from the sun and over to the map that had found a place in his home sprawled across the coffee table in front of the T.V.<p>

It had been there since it was decided that Osaka and the district of Doyama was a place that perhaps had lost it's shine to at least the odd little not-quite-family that had moved there who knows how long ago. First it had been Taichi and Sora, meeting one another by chance when both had packed up their lives into a bag to see if they could find a home for themselves somewhere out there in the vastness of Japan. Then, it had Yamato himself, slinging a duffel bag over his shoulder and hopping onto a bus for hundreds of miles, not looking for a home, but instead just searching for a boy named Taichi. Jun had followed not soon after, for a reason that no one had dared to say out loud, but for a reason that more than one of the people in his life thought was a similar one to his own.

They had made memories in this Doyama, they had become more a family than Yamato ever thought he would ever be a part of, but soon enough it was time for them to go, and find a new place that their troupe could perchance call home. The sound of cars died down for a moment, but the wind chime whistled on, oblivious to the rest of the silence, and Yamato sighed, wondering about the friends he found in Koushiro and Jou. Koushiro had been the first person he had met all those years ago when he strolled up to the building where Taichi awaited him, and although they perhaps didn't get off to the best of starts, Yamato had found himself having a certain sort of fondness for the guy. Jou had been met much later with a couple of emails and a few clicks of the mouse, but even with those mundane origins, the older awkward doctor had become a kindred lonely spirit to him, and had even saved his life. Yamato closed his eyes again, and the sound of the wind chime's bells danced across the air, singing a song both happy and sad.

"Yamato?" A voice interrupted his thoughts, though, Yamato remained quiet and unmoving, the sound of cars returning, and the wind chime ever ringing.

"I'm busy." The half-asleep Yamato responded, already missing Koushiro and Jou, the young man unsure if he would ever see them again once he picked up the duffel bag that had once been his father's, and slung it over his shoulder just like he had all those years ago.

"Busy?" Taichi sounded skeptical, sitting down on the couch opposite Yamato and stretching, the day being much too nice to simply spend indoors, "You need to live life! You can't always be mopey, you know."

"I am living life," Yamato shrugged, but otherwise stayed where he was, eyes closed and ears attentive for the whistling in the wind, "what other way is there to live than like this?"

This time it was Taichi who shrugged. "There's a whole world out there. You can't see it in your sleep."

"Taichi," Yamato, finally opened his eyes and glanced over at the young man he had chased after all those years ago, learning in those eight months apart that Odaiba wasn't really Odaiba without him there at his side, "In your sleep is the only time the world is actually worth seeing."

In truth, he wasn't sure if that was the most pessimistic thing to think, or if it was actually the most optimistic thing that had ever come out of his mouth. In your sleep is the only time that a person could ever truly dream, and it was often in quiet moments like the one that he had been having before Taichi had shown up that Yamato found himself wondering whether the dreams that he had throughout his life were a good thing or a bad one. He often had dreams of his father, of Hiroaki yelling this obscenity or lifting his heavy fist to strike him in one moment, and in another of the same man mussing Yamato's boyhood hair, telling him how proud of him he was. He had others dreams that haunted him as well, of cigarettes and the scent of lavender, that caused him pain not because of how frightening those dreams of lavender could be, but because they were happy dreams; dreams of his mother. Yamato closed his eyes again and thought of Takeru, and he wondered something in that moment, the heat of the sun on his legs reminding him just where it was that he was laying. Did his little brother remember the smell of cigarettes, and the perfume of the woman named Natsuko?

Taichi only laughed, Yamato's negativity not being anything new to him. "Well, I'm in the living world, Ishida. You kind of have to be awake if you want to be able to spend any kind of time with me."

Yamato felt himself drifting off again, his closed eyes and the soothing sounds of roaring cars and the dancing of bells in the wind making it all the more easy for him. Before he finally fell asleep though, he did have the energy to say one more thing.

"It's okay," Yamato assured Taichi as he yawned, "I see you when I go to sleep as well."

Taichi wanted to laugh again at the ridiculousness of it all, before he paused and realized just what it was that Yamato had said, the blond man perhaps revealing more than he had intended to in that moment. It was an afternoon they spent together, Taichi wide awake, but with a face as red as the sun, and Yamato off in the world that humans can't see, dreaming of his parents and his brother, dreaming of sad yet tender moments, and a little boy named Atushi. Although he would never say it out loud, Yamato also dreamed of sweeter things, of Koushiro and Jou forever being his friends, of Sora and Jun never losing the place they found in his heart, and he also dreamed of Taichi, and a home at the end of Japan.

And so the two of them spent the afternoon without another word, the bells of the wind chime crooning in the breeze.

* * *

><p>Part of the reason that I haven't written anything for so long is the fact that sometimes when I sit down to write something, I hate with all my heart what it is that comes out. It's something that those of you who are closer to me know I struggle with. I've felt that I've lost my touch, that I should just set all my stories down for good, but now...I don't know. I feel different. I feel like I've recaptured a spark I didn't know I lost.<p>

Like I said earlier, let the adventure continue.


	62. Ginger Ale

Having no free time. I'm either at school or work, or sleeping now. Anyways, sorry for the long wait, because I want to start regularly updating this again. I remember for like a year and a half or so, that there was a new update like every week or two.

Quote of the day:

**_"All happy families are like one another; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."_**

**— Leo Tolstoy,_ Anna Karenina_**

* * *

><p>It was an old picture that he was staring down at, one he had taken without Takeru's knowledge all those years ago when he first boarded that bus for that long journey from Odaiba to Doyama, from the only home he had ever known to the place where Taichi waited for him, and Yamato found himself smiling, the crayon markings only faded just ever so slightly. He didn't know what had compelled him to wake up at three in the morning to dig through his tattered box of memories, looking for a picture his baby brother drew years ago on a whim, Yamato searching for the drawing beside Hiroaki's revolver and a photograph of a woman named Natsuko. It had taken him a while, though the young man had eventually found what he had been looking for, and he had held it carefully and only touched it when he needed to, and now here he was, watching Takeru's picture with a tender sense of curiosity, Yamato feeling a tug in his heart as he did so.<p>

Part of him was surprised that the drawing was still intact after all these years, but as Yamato inhaled the familiar smoke that he did nearly every day since he was a boy, he chalked up the survival of the picture to be one of those rare oddities of life. He had always thought Takeru to be an odd one for ever being able to come up with something so ridiculous as what was drawn on the paper below him, but Yamato supposed that it was fair to say that he himself was the stranger of the two siblings, considering the fact that he had made it a point to hang onto this childish memento of the past for as long as he did. It was a simple picture of another time and place, but even so, part of him wondered if he would ever have the chance to bring it into the future.

"Yamato?"

He hadn't expected company on his 3:00AM journey into the past, but as he peered over his shoulder to the young woman now standing in his hallway, he gave a nod of acknowledgement, and moved to put out his cigarette in the ash tray that had his initials carved into them by Jun's sloppy twelve year old hand. As much as he usually refused to kill his cigarettes for anyone, Yamato thought it was appropriate to make an exception for the pregnant Sora. Although he soon pushed the thought away, he remembered that he had had to do something similar when he was sixteen.

"Why are you awake?" Sora asked as she walked into the kitchen, never taking her eyes off Yamato.

He only shrugged, his eyes glancing down towards Takeru's famous, poorly drawn picture. "Couldn't sleep. Had something on my mind." Yamato paused as he looked over at his ash tray, and frowned when he realized that he had only been able to smoke half his cigarette. "How about you?"

Sora seemed to accept his answer as she ignored him for a second to open their fridge and rummage through it. Soon enough she emerged with a can of Canadian ginger ale, before walking over to the kitchen table in the middle of their dining room to sit in the spot across from Yamato. "Being pregnant isn't exactly a fun experience."

He laughed along with Sora at her quip, remembering just how true a saying that actually was. Part of him was still somewhat impressed with himself that he survived the punch to the face from Jun's father when the alcoholic boxing champion had first found out about the pregnancy. That had been a tough year, two sixteen year olds from dysfunctional families not quite having the best of foundations to bring a child into the world. For all the trouble though, for all the pain and doubts and sorrow, it would have been worth it all, had the baby survived that terrible first night in the hospital.

For a reason he couldn't quite place, the name Atushi randomly came to mind.

Soon enough, Sora's laughter stopped, and after a few long sips of her Canadian ginger ale she peered over at the drawing lying on the table below him, and she frowned when she couldn't exactly tell what it was. "What are you looking at?"

He found himself smiling as he looked down at the picture once again, but as he usually did when he found himself smiling, Yamato soon forced it away. "It's a picture Takeru drew when we were kids."

Biting her lip at what was actually shown on the old and surprisingly untattered drawing, Sora was at a loss for words, not really sure if what was shown was actually something that she would associate with the Ishida brothers. "I," the young woman paused, taking a moment to sip her ginger ale as she collected her thoughts, "I'm not really sure what to say if I have to be honest."

Tentatively, Yamato reached out and rested a hand on the poorly drawn picture that had surprisingly come to mean so much to him over the years. It was a simple thing that Yamato was sure every child that wasn't himself had drawn at least once in their life, but as he continued to stare at the scene presented on the drawing of a time that he wasn't sure had ever actually existed, he could see just why things had been so confusing for Sora.

"If I have to be honest as well," Yamato began to reply, his eyes never leaving the drawing, "I'm not sure what to say either."

True to their words, neither said anything more, and the picture continued to both haunt Yamato and enchant him, the young man feeling like a boy in another world, the drawing of the Ishida brothers and both their parents never being far from his thoughts. He closed his eyes, and for a moment Yamato thought that he could smell cigarettes and lavender. In the distance, he heard his father's laughter.

_Home. _

* * *

><p>I'll be back again soon. I've noticed that Yamato and Sora tend to have a few...tender (is that the right word?) moments when they are alone together.<p> 


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